The Debrief

Viral microtrends, the fleeting aesthetics popularised on platforms like TikTok, have defined recent fashion moments for young consumers. From the playful "Cottagecore" to the fleeting "Mob Wife", these trends have rapidly cycled through social media feeds and retail shelves. Post-pandemic experimentation drove this cycle, however, the once-accelerating churn of microtrends is beginning to slow, as Gen-Z shoppers seek authenticity, durability and individuality in their fashion choices. On this episode of The Debrief, senior editorial associate Joan Kennedy joins senior correspondent Sheena Butler-Young to talk about what's behind the slowdown in microtrends and what this shift means for retailers and brands.Key Insights: Microtrends gained momentum post-pandemic when young consumers had extra savings, more leisure time, and a desire to explore various identities through fashion. However, the novelty and playful experimentation eventually led to consumer fatigue. Kennedy explains, "Young shoppers are really looking to grasp onto something solid right now," noting an increased awareness that many trends felt "goofy" or even "fake." She adds, “people are talking more than ever about just this viral churn and how wasteful it is."Young consumers increasingly align their fashion choices with specific cultural events, creating marketing opportunities for retailers. "This whole sense of 'what I am doing is how I'm dressing' has become very popular among young shoppers," Kennedy explains, highlighting opportunities around events like the Barbie movie and Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter tour. Retailers can better predict long-lasting trends by monitoring multi-season appeal and connections beyond social media. Kennedy cites Revolve's chief merchandising officer, Divya Mathur, who recommends looking for trends that "span multiple seasons" and have relevance across social media, runway, and pop culture. Kennedy advises retailers to "lean into more evergreen, identity-based marketing," and rethink "what virality looks like" as consumer engagement evolves. “With a lot of these trends, something goes viral and a brand gets a tonne of sales. But let's take a step back as that might shift and brands have to be ready for that.” Additional Resources:The Decline and Fall of the Viral Microtrend | BoF The Life Cycle of a Viral Fashion Trend | BoFHow the Internet Disrupted Fashion’s Trend Cycle | BoF How to Keep Up With TikTok’s Lightning-Fast Trend Cycle | BoF  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From the legendary Hermès Birkin to recent sensations like Alaïa’s Teckel, luxury handbags have long held a distinctive power within the fashion world. Blending brand heritage, practicality, and emotional resonance, handbags often become a signature item for brands to capture consumer attention and drive commercial success. But the ongoing challenge for luxury brands is maintaining innovation, managing consumer desire, and navigating a landscape rife with copycats and shifting trends.On this episode of The Debrief, senior correspondent Sheena Butler-Young speaks with luxury correspondent Simone Stern Carbone about the power of an iconic handbag and the delicate balance brands must achieve to keep them relevant.Key Insights: Bags often become the most recognisable symbols of luxury brands, significantly contributing to their financial performance. For instance, Alaïa’s Teckel bag – a playful, wiener dog-shaped design – helped offset the weaker performance of parent company Richemont’s other fashion labels. “That one bag was able to do so much, not just for the brand but for the larger company that the brand sits under,” says Stern Carbone. “That just says so much about the impact that a single wiener dog-shaped bag can potentially have.”Handbags are particularly attractive as entry-level luxury items because they are recognisable status symbols. “Consumers might not recognise jeans from Bottega, but they will recognise whether a bag is Louis Vuitton,” explains Stern Carbone. “Bags are something that people will purchase time and time again; they will use them daily. And if done right, it really becomes the totemic product for a brand.”Successful handbag designs can become immediate targets for imitation due to limited legal protections and the ease of replicating shapes and materials. “Once the bag gets copied, it's already over,” notes Stern Carbone, underscoring the need for continuous innovation or artificial scarcity, as mastered by Hermès with its Birkin and Kelly bags.Brands must innovate thoughtfully, staying true to their heritage and core identity rather than pursuing novelty for novelty’s sake. “Empower your creative design teams and give new voices a chance,” advises Stern Carbone. “The beautiful thing is there's variety for everybody. Brands just need to authentically strike the cord with their loyal consumer base… and handbags are a way to do it.”Additional Resources:In a Market of Copycats, Handbag Innovators Stand Out | BoF Can Slouchy Work Bags and a Selfie Mirror Grow Delvaux? | BoF How Polène Is Growing French DTC Handbags Into an International Success | BoF On the Wings of Céline | BoF  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In early April, President Donald Trump announced an unprecedented wave of tariffs, imposing duties as high as 145 percent on imports from China. Among the rationales offered were the prospect of a US manufacturing renaissance.The American fashion sector – heavily reliant on overseas production, particularly in China – now faces significant disruption. Some brands are adapting quickly, leveraging their domestic operations and leaning into a ‘Made in USA’ identity. Others are reevaluating their reliance on China as their primary sourcing destination. But the prospect of a mass return of garment manufacturing jobs remains a remote possibility, most economists and fashion industry experts say. In this episode of The Debrief, BoF correspondents Malique Morris and Marc Bain join executive editor Brian Baskin and senior correspondent Sheena Butler-Young to assess whether the dream of American-made fashion is any closer to reality.Key Insights: The ‘Made in USA’ dream remains out of reach due to the lack of US manufacturing infrastructure. "The infrastructure just literally isn't here," says Bain. "Even if you use US grown cotton, most of the time that cotton is shipped out of the US to be spun into yarn and woven into fabric somewhere else. These are all sorts of things that we just don't have here. It's been lost over decades and it would take decades to get it back.”Brands that already manufacture domestically are seeing success from marketing craftsmanship, experience and emotional value. The outdoor clothing company Filson, for example, offers walking tours around their manufacturing facility that shares a space with their Seattle headquarters. “Fashion is already an emotional purchase, and consumers do care about the story behind a brand. That's why brand marketing is so important for building the label,” says Morris. “This is another way to tap into that. It's storytelling, not nationalism.” Whereas the US has a lack of infrastructure for manufacturing, China is in the exact opposite position. Small brands might have their supply chain concentrated in one geographical area and are especially vulnerable to tariff changes. “If that area happens to be China and suddenly there's this giant more than doubling of tariffs, you are in serious trouble,” says Bain.  Although cheap overseas clothing companies like Shein and Quince will now be subject to increased duties, consumers won’t abandon cheap fashion overnight. “Even if [middle-class shoppers] are not going to buy American-made brands that are significantly more expensive, maybe they'll go second-hand, maybe they'll vintage,” says Morris. “I think the hope here is that people will just get conditioned out of the idea that they can get $2 jeans and a $10 dress.”Additional Resources:How Made-in-America Brands Turn Tariff Turmoil Into Opportunity | BoFWhy ‘Made in America’ Is Still a Fashion Fantasy | BoFUnravelling the Myth of ‘Made in America’ | BoF Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

President Donald Trump announced an unprecedented wave of tariffs on April 2, imposing duties as high as 54 percent on fashion imports from key manufacturing countries, including China and Vietnam, and 20 percent on goods from the EU. These measures immediately sparked panic across global markets, ratcheting up the odds of a US recession and causing sharp stock price declines for major fashion brands such as Nike, Victoria's Secret and VF Corp. Sustainability correspondent Sarah Kent and luxury correspondent Simone Stern Carbone join executive editor Brian Baskin and senior correspondent Sheena Butler-Young to break down the tariffs’ effects on manufacturing, luxury brands, consumer behaviour and potential future shifts within the industry.Key Insights: The belief that these tariffs could quickly restore US-based fashion manufacturing is unrealistic. "It would take years of investment to build up the infrastructure and skill base within the US to replace manufacturing capacity that has been moving abroad for decades. For the apparel industry, it just does not exist on the scale that would be needed," explains Kent.Luxury brands, traditionally insulated by European-based production, will also face pressure. "Even for luxury brands that pride themselves for their production in countries like mostly France and Italy, they are going to be hit with some tariffs too," Stern Carbone points out.The tariffs introduce a complex challenge for luxury brands, requiring careful balancing of price adjustments, consumer sentiment and creativity amid ongoing economic uncertainty. "It's this mix between pricing, demand, maybe a lack of creativity, and also incentivising customers to actually purchase luxury goods," says Stern Carbone. "You don't know what [Trump] is going to do next, you don't know if this is going to stick, so are you going to spend $10,000 on a handbag - even if you can technically afford it - when you don't know what tomorrow brings?" emphasises Kent.The industry isn’t entirely powerless. "Brands have a voice. Brands are part of the global economy. Brands can lobby," says Kent. "They can make it known that they don't like this. If you're not raising your voice and saying, 'hey, this is really hurting big business and it's not making America great again,' then you're not even trying."Additional Resources:Trump’s Tariffs Rock Fashion’s Supply Chain | BoFExplainer: How Trump’s Tariffs Threaten Luxury Fashion | BoFOp-Ed | Fashion’s Reset: What Tariffs Are Forcing Us to Finally Fix | BoF Executive Memo | An Action Plan for Navigating Trump’s Tariffs  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fast-fashion giant H&M recently announced its plans to deploy AI-generated "digital twins" of real-life models in marketing campaigns. While H&M argues it's proactively managing inevitable industry changes, including by working with models to compensate them for use of their AI versions, the decision has sparked significant backlash. Comments on social media and statements by industry figures highlight deep-seated anxieties around job security, creative integrity and the value of the human element in fashion. BoF correspondents Marc Bain and Haley Crawford discuss the potential outcomes and tensions arising from AI’s expanding role in fashion marketing.Key Insights: H&M is just the tip of the iceberg: Fashion brands are increasingly embracing AI, from fast fashion to luxury. While AI-generated imagery has quietly infiltrated lower-end markets for some time, H&M's public embrace signifies its move out into the open, and into the world of high-profile campaigns. High-end brands like Coach and Estée Lauder have started using AI for product-focused imagery, indicating a cautious yet clear shift. "Coach uses Adobe Firefly to create digital twins of its products… to scale marketing content and test designs," says Crawford, highlighting how AI is already reshaping marketing across the fashion spectrum.Transparency around AI use in marketing is still inconsistent, and regulations are lagging behind. "The technology is moving so rapidly, it's making its way out into the world already, and the law is trying to catch up," Bain explains. While the EU is moving toward legislating transparency in AI-generated imagery, the lack of clear rules globally adds complexity for brands and consumers alike, creating uncertainty around ethical marketing standards.The rise of AI-generated imagery raises concerns over the loss of the creative collaboration intrinsic to traditional fashion shoots. "What's really at risk of being lost here is that communal process of creating fashion imagery," says Bain. "Some level of creativity and humanity, in addition to all the jobs themselves, which are also hugely important, will also be lost."As AI image generation continues to be adopted by brands, it is creating increased competition, forcing both digital and traditional creatives to innovate further. "You can't only live in an endlessly self-referential cycle of AI image generation, even if AI is piecing different concepts together to generate newness," Crawford says. "People working on photography, art, whatever the artistic format is, will only get more creative and people are going to experiment more to stand out."Additional Resources:H&M Knows Its AI Models Will Be Controversial | BoFThe Fake Fashion Campaigns That Show AI’s Future in Marketing | BoF Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pat McGrath is widely regarded as one of the most influential makeup artists of all time. Known simply as “Mother” to some in the industry, she’s been behind some of the most memorable runway beauty moments for decades. In 2015, she launched her namesake brand, Pat McGrath Labs, which quickly became a beauty phenomenon – going viral with its glittering gold pigment and reaching a $1 billion valuation just two years later.But almost a decade on, the business tells a different story. With its valuation now a fraction of what it once was, high executive turnover, limited product accessibility, and internal challenges, the brand’s future hangs in the balance – even as McGrath's own star continues to rise with a new role as beauty director for Louis Vuitton.The Business of Beauty editor Brennan Kilbane and executive editor Priya Rao, explore what went wrong and how the business can get back on track.Key Insights: In its early years, Pat McGrath Labs thrived as a high-concept beauty brand that translated runway artistry into consumer excitement. The first product, Gold 001, was a multipurpose pressed gold pigment that sold out within minutes and crashed the website. As Kilbane describes, the brand began as “a direct pipeline from her creative brain to the cosmetics market.” The initial success solidified McGrath’s cult status – and set high expectations for what came next.When Pat McGrath's 'glass skin' look went viral after the Maison Margiela couture show, it could have been a pivotal brand moment. But the product inspired by the look – and released more than a year later – failed to maintain momentum. “They tried to capitalise on it by scheduling a masterclass a week later,” says Kilbane, “but it wasn’t fast enough.” Additionally, according to Rao, the bigger issue with late deployment was product wearability: “It’s not something that’s everyday or wearable in any capacity.”Pat McGrath’s artistry is legendary, however operationally, Pat McGrath Labs fell flat. “Pat McGrath Labs was Pat McGrath. She is the CEO, she is the founder, she's the creative director – the buck stops with her,” says Kilbane. With final say on everything from product formulation to packaging, this all-encompassing control created a bottleneck that affected every part of the business. The result was a company where decision-making was slow and fragmented.With valuation plummeting and Sephora shelf space dwindling, both Kilbane and Rao agree that McGrath’s company needs a reset. “Does it need new investors? Probably,” says Rao. “But it also needs leadership and operational know-how for it to actually scale. Otherwise, it’s going to be a pet project in comparison with what she does with Louis Vuitton.” Kilbane adds, “Fixing the company culture is going to be integral – if not even more impactful than integral – to the brand’s longevity.”Additional Resources:What Happened to Pat McGrath Labs? | BoF Louis Vuitton to Launch Makeup Line | BoF  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Once a dominant player in fast fashion, Forever 21 recently filed for bankruptcy for the second time in six years, marking the likely end of its run as a physical retailer. The chain, known for introducing ultra-affordable, trend-driven clothing to American malls, struggled to remain relevant as competitors like Zara, H&M, and later Shein and Temu offered faster, cheaper, and more digitally-savvy alternatives. After its initial bankruptcy in 2019, Forever 21 was acquired by Authentic Brands Group and mall operator Simon Property Group, but despite various turnaround attempts – including unusual collaborations and international relaunches – it failed to recapture its former success.Retail editor Cathaleen Chen joins The Debrief to unpack what Forever 21’s fall says about the future of fast fashion.Key Insights: Chen argues that Forever 21’s downfall is largely due to its loss of cultural cachet. “You don't see influencers peddling Forever 21 in the way that you see influencers still promoting Shein, and I think that's a huge factor. You have to spend that money to be relevant,” says Chen.Chen contends that fast fashion retailers like Forever 21 have always struggled with establishing a unique identity, which ultimately made it difficult for them to maintain customer loyalty. “The problem with Wet Seal, Rue 21, and now Forever 21 is that these retailers never really had any kind of identity,” she explains.The retailer’s failure to evolve beyond chasing transient trends has left it vulnerable to more agile competitors. “It's not about just chasing fashion, fashion, fashion the way that I think Forever 21 never got out of, the way that Shein dominates. It's about going the other direction and creating products that your customers want at a level of quality,” says Chen.Looking forward, success in fast fashion will require more than affordability. Chen believes future winners must combine low prices with a compelling retail experience: “There is an element of surprise and delight in that shopping experience. It can't just be cheap, affordable – it needs to offer something more.”Additional Resources:The Year Ahead: Deconstructing Fast Fashion’s Future | BoF Why Shein Keeps Buying Its Rivals | BoF Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the 2010s and early 2020s, a new generation of sexual wellness companies selling sex toys, massage oils and other bedroom aides broke taboos by championing pleasure and redefining sex as wellness. Startups such as Hanx and Playground, often founded by women, introduced sleek products that contrasted sharply with the hyper-sexualised image of legacy players like Trojan and Durex. However, recent regulatory restrictions, cultural conservatism, and social media censorship have forced these brands to pivot toward a more health-focused approach. In this episode of The Debrief, editorial associate Yola Mzizi explains how these changes are reshaping marketing strategies and consumer perceptions in the sexual wellness market.Key Insights: Brands in the sexual wellness category initially reframed sex as a wellness benefit. “They didn’t just focus on pleasure but other health benefits that come from engaging in sex,” says Mzizi. “This is a big deal because attitudes around sex were changing and therefore we saw all of these brands come up during this time to reflect that change.” However, as cultural conservatism gains ground, with stricter regulatory and social pressures emerging, those once-radical messages are now being muted, forcing brands to temper their bold narratives in favour of more sanitised, health-focused messaging.Despite early success, sexual wellness brands now face significant challenges due to tighter social media censorship and advertising restrictions. “If you just look at Meta, which owns Instagram, they have very clear policies that their ads cannot promote the sale or use of adult sexual arousal products or services,” says Mzizi. “That can mean anything from erotica to fan fiction, sex toys, but what they do allow are ads centred on reproductive health and sexual health, but only if they're shown to users 18 years or older.” Sexual wellness brands can continue their mission by staying true to their unique identity. “By doubling down, brands can rest assured that they're not diluting their message and the customers who are coming to shop with them know exactly who they are, what they stand for, and what they sell,” says Mzizi. “If you position yourself as a healthcare startup, and then you're selling lube, it may be very difficult to get someone to click purchase because they were duped into getting there.” Abstaining from going overboard with compliance can help preserve brand integrity and keeps loyal consumers engaged even as external pressures push for alternative narratives.Additional Resources:Can You Sell Sexual Wellness Without Sex? | BoF How Sex Toys Broke Into Beauty Retail | BoFAre Condoms Ready for the DTC Treatment? | BoF Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Once hailed as a pioneering platform for online luxury, Farfetch is now undergoing a dramatic operational overhaul. The South Korean e-commerce giant Coupang acquired the luxury marketplace in 2023, rescuing it from near-bankruptcy. Since then, Coupang has implemented sweeping cost-cutting measures that have narrowed losses significantly, but are eroding Farfetch’s footing in the luxury e-commerce space and alienating its core customers. DTC correspondent Malique Morris joins Executive Editor Brian Baskin and Senior Correspondent Sheena Butler-Young to examine Farfetch’s path to profitability.Key Insights: Coupang's relentless drive to push Farfetch toward profitability clashes with the premium expectations of luxury shoppers as cost-cutting is prioritised over customer experience. “Coupang is so hyper‐focused on getting Farfetch to profitability ... and when you're dealing with people who are spending $100,000 a year on the marketplace, it doesn't quite work that way,” explains Morris. “They’ve also cut teams dedicated to working with Farfetch’s VIP customers, who can make up as much as 30% of the company’s annual sales.” This tension between operational efficiency and delivering a high-end experience is at the heart of Farfetch's challenges.Farfetch’s “sold by Farfetch” programme highlights its growing disconnect with luxury brands. As luxury powerhouses like Celine, Alaia and Kering – which includes Gucci, Saint Laurent and Bottega Veneta — pull their collections from the platform, Farfetch has turned to a grey market tactic to maintain its inventory. “Instead of sending the goods straight from the retailers to the customers, the items are now going to a warehouse in Amsterdam to be repackaged,” says Morris. “It's not only a knock to Farfetch's relationship with top brands, but it also risks deteriorating customer service.” This move, intended to sidestep brand resistance risks undermining transparency and trust among high-end partners.Farfetch's biggest superpower is that many independent boutiques still rely on it. “If Farfetch can at least do right by those retail partners, then it probably has a shot of stabilising its footing in online luxury,” says Morris. “Coupang will eventually have to allow Farfetch to reinvest in their relationships with customers and brands. That might cost them a couple million, but hopefully with the renewed focus on just the marketplace, Farfetch won't go back into the red in the process.”Additional Resources:Inside Coupang’s Tug of War With Farfetch | BoFFarfetch Owner Coupang: Everything You Need to Know | BoF  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The revelation this year of child labour in India’s cotton fields and modern-day slavery in Taiwanese garment factories is the latest scandal concerning worker treatment in fashion’s supply chain. New abuses keep emerging despite efforts by brands, manufacturers, activists, and governments to set clear labour guidelines. Watchdog groups try new tactics to combat the problem, but they face systemic forces far beyond fashion.Sustainability editor Sarah Kent joins executive editor Brian Baskin and senior correspondent Sheena Butler-Young to discuss the problematic labour dynamics underpinning the fashion system.Key Insights: Persistent abuse in fashion’s supply chains is not merely about isolated incidents but reflects deep-rooted socio-economic challenges. In India’s cotton industry, for example, many farmworkers come from extremely marginalised and impoverished communities where exploitation is a norm rather than an exception. Families often work together under hazardous conditions, with little oversight or recourse. “So you're not just dealing with an issue of exploitation that is coming from the [fashion] industry, you're dealing with a culture that is ingrained in the way that community works – and that is a very difficult, complicated thing to try and manage, ” explains Kent. Transparency in supply chains remains critical. Despite decades of advocacy, many brands struggle to verify the origins of their cotton. The global cotton supply chain’s complexity—where materials pass through multiple suppliers and traders—makes tracing raw cotton back to its source extremely difficult. “The traders will have been getting the cotton from ginners who will have got raw cotton from … maybe hundreds of thousands of small family farms aggregated it, ginned it, sold it onto a trader who then sells it up through the supply chain. So by the time it even gets to a spinning factory, tracing it back to the farm where it came from is really, really difficult,” says Kent.In Taiwan’s textile industry, systemic issues like excessive recruitment fees burden migrant workers, yet change is stalling. Despite growing awareness and repeated calls for reform, manufacturers have little incentive to alter longstanding practices without coordinated industry action and regulatory intervention. As Kent notes, “Without other brands operating in Taiwan coming together and trying to do the same thing, the industry as a whole isn't going to move.” And without regulatory shifts, manufacturers have little reason to remove recruitment fee burdens from workers.Consumer trust in ethical claims is vital for brands that present themselves as responsible. However, when ethical certifications and claims are diluted by inconsistent practices and opaque supply chains, consumers quickly lose faith. This erosion of trust can undermine efforts to promote responsible consumption. “If consumers lose trust in what is meant to be a signifier of doing better, then you risk people not caring at all,” Kent warns. “No one's going to pay more for a product that promises to be more responsible and more ethical when it's when they don't believe that it is.”Additional Resources:‘Ethical’ Cotton Is Being Picked by Child Labourers in India, Watchdog Finds | BoFWhy Can’t Fashion Eliminate Labour Exploitation From Its Supply Chains? | BoF  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gucci has long been the shining star of Kering’s luxury portfolio, but the brand's recent struggles have exposed weaknesses in the conglomerate’s position. Gucci’s sales plummeted 24 percent in the fourth quarter of 2024, dragging Kering’s overall performance down by 12 percent. The shock departure of Creative Director Sabato De Sarno after less than two years only deepens the group’s instability.Luxury editor Robert Williams joins executive editor Brian Baskin and senior correspondent Sheena Butler-Young to discuss how Gucci’s downturn is affecting Kering’s broader portfolio, why its attempt at a creative reset didn’t resonate, and what’s next for the group as it searches for a new vision.Key Insights: Gucci's downturn has been severe, with sales falling by almost a quarter in 2024. This dramatic slide highlights the challenge of reinvigorating the brand. “[Gucci] has had a few really big booms, but then also some pretty big busts afterward. That creates additional complications for the group and how much they're able to invest in acquiring new brands, in developing the brands they have. And honestly, to also just continue to exist,” says Williams.Gucci’s identity has become muddled as it leans too heavily on its heritage, potentially limiting its appeal. “Gucci can stand for a lot of things and I think that's where they got a bit confused. It's the biggest Italian luxury brand and maybe they started to think that it was more of a heritage house than it should be,” Williams explains. Williams outlines a protective strategy where the group is preemptively selling off valuable real estate. He cites the sale of luxury jewellery house Boucheron headquarters and flagship store on Place Vendôme, stating, "choosing to cash in on the fact that this building is worth a lot of money is a bit worrying that they feel the need to get that treasury right now." Gucci’s potential for a rapid rebound hinges on securing the right creative leadership to tell a compelling story of the brand and leveraging its extensive assets. “I think real potential for the rebound is there if they can get the right person in place just to tell a very convincing fashion story. It can go very high, very fast again,” Williams says. “They have a lot of real estate, they have a lot of stores in great locations and they have a whole supply chain behind them that's really like rooting for their comeback because it's the biggest client for so many suppliers in the Italian fashion system.”Additional Resources: Can Kering Bounce Back From Its ‘Annus Horribilis’? | BoF The Problems with Gucci and Dior | BoF  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Estée Lauder was long celebrated as a pioneer in prestige beauty, building a global empire on the strength of family legacy, innovative product lines, smart acquisitions and a high-touch in-store experience. However in recent years, the company has lost its wat on each of those strategies, leaving it poorly equipped to stay on top of rapidly shifting consumer tastes. In its latest earnings call, new CEO Stéphane de La Faverie candidly acknowledged that the company had “lost its agility,” and promised to quickly implement an ambitious modernisation plan. The Debrief explores how Estée Lauder’s legacy is now proving to be a burden, and how it can still overcome its challenges. Key Insights: Holding around 86% of the voting rights, Estée Lauder’s tight family control helped maintain a tight focus on prestige beauty, but has contributed to a risk-averse culture that caused the company to miss out on important trends. “A lot of their beliefs are around beauty being a prestige category and a prestige experience and that being the way to win,” says Morosini. “That message in the wider beauty consumer base has been diluted a little bit. People are much more open to shopping for products in different ways and from different kinds of founders. They didn't really let go of their values.” Estée Lauder also made a big bet on China, at one point deriving 25 percent of its sales from the market. However, when demand cooled post-COVID, it exposed weaknesses in its home market strategy. "Not only did the China business really, really sharply decline, but when the Chinese market took a really big hit, it exposed just how much they had neglected their home market of the US and just how much market share they had ceded without anyone really realising,” says Morosini.The company’s new CEO, Stéphane de La Faverie, is spearheading a major strategic overhaul with his "Beauty Reimagined" plan. This vision aims to reinvigorate the brand by streamlining the corporate structure, tripling the pace of innovation, and placing an obsessive focus on the consumer. "They've created more of a skincare brand cluster, a makeup brand cluster, and they've also really simplified the geographic way that they're dividing up the markets and who's overseeing them. I think that could lead to greater agility and better sort of more targeted marketing for each region," says Morosini.Estée Lauder’s model of fuelling growth through brand acquisitions is increasingly unsustainable in today’s volatile market. The company's ability to innovate and adapt has been hampered by heightened domestic competition and an unpredictable economic climate. "I think as time has gone on, it's just got harder and harder because the competition, especially in the US in their domestic market has really, really ramped up. And they don't seem able to accurately forecast what's gonna happen next,” says Morosini. “It's really hard to convince people that something that's been around for a long time is actually cool."Additional Resources:Estée Lauder Knows How to Cut Costs. Can It Also Rebuild Growth? A First-Day Agenda for Estée Lauder’s New CEO Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After a prolonged slowdown, fashion’s M&A market is springing back to life. A combination of falling interest rates, shifting investor sentiment and optimism around economic policy has fuelled a wave of early 2025 deals. Within the first few weeks of the year, brands like True Religion and Kapital were acquired by private equity firms and holding companies, signalling renewed confidence in fashion investments.However, not all acquisitions are about aggressive growth. Some buyers specialise in “managed decline,” acquiring struggling brands to extend their lifespan through licensing or cost-cutting. Others, including private equity firms and strategic buyers, see opportunities to scale promising brands by injecting capital and expertise.“The key for a lot of these companies in finding buyers is proving that their brands are still worth it and can weather these economic cycles and lulls in the market,” shared e-commerce correspondent Malique Morris. Executive editor Brian Baskin and senior correspondent Sheena Butler-Young sat down with Morris to break down the latest deals, the brands poised for sale, and what it all means for fashion in 2025 and beyond.Key Insights: A number of converging factors are driving a new wave of fashion mergers and acquisitions in 2025. Falling interest rates, Trump’s re-election driving investor optimism, and shifting regulations have all played a part in fuelling new acquisitions. “Retailers reported strong holiday sales in 2024, and even though much of that was driven by discounting, it signalled that consumers were still spending,” says Morris. “That kind of activity gives investors more confidence in backing fashion businesses.”Buyers are looking for brands with strong customer loyalty, an engaged audience, and clear growth potential that can weather the ebb and flow of the market. Brands need “good stewards to help them find the best resources to expand without hurting their legacy, whether that be money, retail networks, or supplier relationships,” explains Morris. “It's important to have the resources you need to maintain relevance and compete for consumer attention.”Beauty remains a hotbed for M&A activity. “Unlike fashion, beauty hasn’t faced the same investor hesitancy,” says Morris. “Brands like Merit, Westman Atelier, and Makeup by Mario are seen as prime acquisition targets, while Rare Beauty could be the defining beauty deal of the decade.”Overall, buyers are prioritising brands with strong customer loyalty and cultural relevance. “They're seeking brands with ample customer loyalty and a passionate consumer base that will keep their names in the public consciousness, irrespective of what recent sales growth will look like,” says Morris. He adds, “The thing that is top of mind is, what is the value of your brand? That’s an honest conversation that I’m not sure all companies have with themselves, let alone with buyers.”Additional Resources:What’s Behind the 2025 M&A Wave | BoF Fashion’s Most Anticipated M&A Hot Spots in 2025 | BoF  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The fashion workplace is evolving, shaped by a wave of technological advancements, leadership changes, and cultural dynamics. For many employees, adapting to these changes has become a challenge, while employers must navigate how to foster connection, retain talent, and drive innovation.Executive editor Brian Baskin sits with commercial features editorial director Sophie Soar and senior correspondent Sheena Butler-Young to unpack how businesses can create thriving workplaces in 2025, the role of soft skills in a tech-driven era, and what it takes to re-engage an increasingly disconnected workforce.“In the face of AI and more technology coming in, it is more important to have a human element. What does a human do well? That’s why soft skills are a huge focus,” says Butler-Young. Meanwhile, Soar highlights the growing challenges of employee disengagement, stating, “We are incredibly disengaged as a workforce. Trying to get employees to buy back into what they’re doing and be part of the workplace is going to be really challenging.”Key Insights:The turnover of leadership in fashion is reshaping workplace dynamics. “New leadership means change, even if they're using the same playbook,” explains Butler-Young. “Having someone new at the top of your company tends to affect morale for better or worse, or just makes people feel uncertain.” She adds, “Fashion workplaces are in this perpetual transition this year, which will inevitably shape culture.”In the wake of President Donald Trump’s executive orders targeting corporate DEI programmes, successful DEI strategies in 2025 will integrate horizontally across all business functions, rather than thinking about it as a vertical. “If something is horizontally integrated across the business and is a fundamental aspect of every single core pillar that this business touches upon, it's harder to roll back on those initiatives as a result,” says Soar. Butler-Young adds, “If you as a leader of any kind of organisation appear to flip-flop on your values based on the way the political winds blow, I think that's going to have a harmful effect on your workplace in the long term.”As AI becomes more prevalent, employers are placing greater emphasis on human-centric skills. “In the face of AI and more technology coming in, it is more important to have a human element to it. What does a human do really well? That’s why soft skills are a huge focus,” says Butler-Young. Soar adds, “It’s about engaging a workforce who are constantly striving to think about how they can take this particular tool or opportunity to the next stage and do so with that can-do, positive approach and attitude.”The impact of the attention economy has spread into our work lives. “We are incredibly disengaged as a workforce,” says Soar. “Trying to get employees to buy back into what it is that they're doing and be a part of the workplace is going to be really challenging, especially as they're navigating a hybrid or remote working environment.” Employers, Soar argues, need to address this to optimise their workforce for the future: “It is fundamentally changing the way that we are operating as people as well as employees.”Additional Resources:How to Future-Proof Your Fashion Career in 2025From Trump to Gen-Z, Fashion Faces a Culture QuakeBoF Careers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brand collaborations were once rare, highly anticipated events that generated significant buzz. But as they have become more frequent, the challenge lies in creating partnerships that genuinely resonate with consumers and cut through the noise.This week, executive editor Brian Baskin and senior correspondent Sheena Butler-Young sit down with BoF correspondent Lei Takanashi and editorial fellow Julia Lebossé to explore the state of brand collaborations, what makes them succeed or fail, and where they’re headed next.To work, collaborations need to feel authentic. For brands, “letting their collaborators take the wheel and just do what they want to do is really key,” says Takanashi. “When brands collaborate successfully, it’s often because they give creative freedom to the collaborator, allowing them to use the materials they want and tell a story that feels true to their audience,” adds Lebossé.Key Insights: Poorly thought-out collaborations often fail to connect with audiences and just won’t cut it anymore. “When it's done lazily, consumers can tell”, explains Lebossé. “We're becoming much smarter, really looking into brands and what they're doing and what makes sense. … That's why brands really have to step up in terms of what they're doing.”It’s not just big brands that can make waves with collaborations. Lebossé pointed to a sneaker collaboration between Bimma Williams and Saucony as an example where a smaller brand excelled. “They’re showing that, hey, we can do innovation,” explains Lebossé.Brands are finding even greater value in creating physical experiences around collaborations. Takanashi points to the Corteiz x Nike collaboration, where prospective buyers participated in scavenger hunts to buy the shoes. “If someone told me that kids would be lining up to buy Huaraches in 2025, I would not believe them at all,” he says. “But that’s the thing. This brand got kids waiting for hours in the freezing cold to buy their sneakers. It’s really that IRL experience that consumers are looking for when it comes to releases these days.”Additional Resources:Why Fashion Needs the Art World More Than Ever | BoFWhy Are Sneaker Collaborations So Boring? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Public relations in fashion has transformed drastically from securing magazine features to managing 360-degree brand storytelling. PR agencies now navigate everything from influencer partnerships to event management, social media strategies, and beyond. However, choosing the right PR agency is no small feat, especially for smaller brands or those at critical growth stages.“Having a PR agency that really feels like a genuine organic extension of your team … is what's going to enable you to plan together and collaboratively work on goals that you're super aligned on,” shared marketing correspondent Haley Crawford. Executive editor Brian Baskin and senior correspondent Sheena Butler-Young sit down with Crawford to discuss how brands can evaluate potential PR partners, the challenges and opportunities in the modern PR space, and how to ensure a successful collaboration.Key Insights: The PR industry has evolved significantly. In the past, PR agencies focused on securing mentions in traditional editorial formats, with the ultimate goal being a feature in Vogue or Harper’s Bazaar. Today, their capabilities have expanded. As Crawford explains, “this allows them to represent brands across the full spectrum of physical and digital spaces where shoppers are really interfacing with them and discovering them. … The agency's role is to facilitate telling a cohesive story across all these facets.”Building relationships remains central to PR success. “The ability to build and maintain relationships has always been such a central skill in PR, but it looks totally different today than it did a couple of years ago,” says Crawford. “Today, publicists really have to go above and beyond to use those relationship building skills to build communities around the brand. And I think what really helps is being passionate about the brands that you choose to work with as well.”As artificial intelligence increasingly influences brand strategies, PR agencies must adopt innovative, human-centric approaches to distinguish themselves. This involves “facilitating an unexpected partnership … bringing events to life that really bring consumers that much closer to the brands they love” and helping brands “ to get in front of new audiences that might be unexpected.”When you're meeting with a potential PR partner, Crawford advises to think of it as a job interview. “Could you see them being part of your in-house team? Are they clearly passionate about developing your brand story and taking it to the next level?” Additional Resources:How to Choose a PR Agency | BoFWhat Fashion PR & Communications Professionals Need to Know Today | BoF Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Background:As the year comes to a close, BoF’s executive editor Brian Baskin and senior correspondent Sheena Butler-Young look back on some of their favourite articles from 2024. The stories include topics that dominated industry conversations throughout the year, as well as some that have had key updates since publication.The four articles they discuss are “How Nike Ran Off Course” by sports correspondent Daniel-Yaw Miller, Butler-Young’s three-part Black beauty series, “The Fight for Influencer Marketing Dollars Heats Up” by senior news and features editor Diana Pearl and “Inside Luxury’s Italian Sweatshops Problem” by sustainability correspondent Sarah Kent. The conversation wraps up with a set of predictions for what’s to come in 2025.Key Insights:Miller’s “How Nike Ran Off Course” topped the list of key stories from 2024. It was a trying year for the brand, marred by declining sales quarter after quarter. Many pointed to former CEO John Donahoe as the source, with marketing and product feeling stale since he joined in 2020. “This was the year where it really crystallized that there were viable alternatives to Nike in the market,” said Baskin, with competitors encroaching from all sides. Looking ahead, Butler-Young said “Nike is not resting on its laurels” and is doing a lot to try to “turn around a very large ship,” starting with selecting a new CEO, longtime Nike executive Elliott Hill.Sarah Kent’s story, “Inside Luxury’s Italian Sweatshops Problem,” digs into this year’s viral scandal surrounding luxury brands’ labour practices. “It found that luxury brands that manufacture in Italy…routinely turn a blind eye to labour exploitation in their supply chain,” said Butler-Young. “They ignore red flags raised by audits and sustainability teams for the sake of convenience and cost.” Dior in particular faced social media backlash for “the disparity between what people pay for products and then some of the things that happen in the supply chain,” said Butler-Young. Next year, brands will face penalties for failing to comply with new European due diligence regulations.Baskin and Butler-Young shared predictions for the industry in 2025. For Butler-Young, ESG and DEI will be key to watch as they “attempt to continue to take shape in a very hostile political environment,” said Butler-Young. Early adopters of DEI who stick with it despite ebbs and flows might benefit by being the most innovative in the space down the line. For Baskin, “My prediction is one of these big struggling brands … is going to successfully pull out of its slump,” he said, pointing to Nike as a potential winner.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the late 2010s, and particularly after George Floyd’s murder in 2020, the fashion industry appeared to embrace a progressive awakening on issues like racial justice and climate change. Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) departments were established, and companies announced ambitious sustainability targets. Yet, from the outset, critics - often from the same communities these initiatives aimed to support - questioned the authenticity of this activism, suggesting it was more about marketing than meaningful change.Now, those sceptics may have been proven right. Following the 2023 Supreme Court ruling against affirmative action, companies have begun scaling back hiring initiatives, grants for Black founders, and other DEI efforts. Sustainability commitments are also under scrutiny, with the industry far behind its climate goals and facing a hostile political environment in the US. Executive editor Brian Baskin is joined by sustainability correspondent Sarah Kent and senior correspondent Sheena Butler-Young to untangle the future of DEI and ESG (environmental, social, and governance).Key Insights: Diversity and inclusion in fashion was built on already fragile foundations. “Most companies didn’t have a DEI department before George Floyd,” Butler-Young points out. She explains that these departments were often created hastily and emotionally, which left them vulnerable to becoming performative. “We never moved beyond that conversation into ‘how is this good for business? Why does this matter for a company beyond social good?’”"The acronym DEI has become so politicised,’” continues Butler-Young. "Something that started off as having some good intentions and some really value-driven tenets, and suddenly it's co-opted and becomes something almost derogatory." Companies are now moving away from the language, but that often means moving away from the work as well. The story in the world of sustainability contains some parallels. “What we’ve begun to see in a handful of cases is a quiet reframing of sustainability commitments, making them less ambitious and, in some ways, more realistic,” says Kent. This includes “the restructuring of sustainability teams, significant layoffs, and a shifting focus.” Although sustainability efforts are losing traction in the US, Kent points out that European regulations will keep the pressure on global brands. “From an investor standpoint, this is a compliance issue - companies need to meet laws or face significant penalties, which is obviously not good for business.”Additional Resources:What Fashion’s Advocacy Will Look Like in the Trump EraTrump’s Impact on Fashion Takes Shape | BoF Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Resale is no longer confined to thrift stores or niche platforms; it has grown into a roughly $50 billion industry in the U.S. alone, by some measures. Platforms like Poshmark, The RealReal and Vestiaire Collective have transformed the experience, making it more accessible and attractive to consumers at every price point. At the same time, brands are increasingly stepping into the space, with some launching their own programs to resell returned or used merchandise, transforming what was once a reactive practice into a strategic business opportunity. And new start-ups hope to create a new secondhand market out of brands’ returned merchandise. Retail editor Cat Chen and e-commerce correspondent Malique Morris join senior correspondent Sheena Butler-Young and executive editor Brian Baskin to unpack the evolving resale landscape. Key Insights: The destigmatisation of secondhand fashion is closely tied to convenience. “A large part of the equation is how easy it is to shop and sell secondhand,” explains Chen. “There are dozens of platforms that do peer-to-peer shopping options where you can buy something secondhand for, you know, at a fraction of the cost of retail where you can sell something that you've had for a while.… When resale is top of mind like that, I think the market adapts to that acceptance mentality.”But establishing a leading position in the market has proven difficult, despite rapid adoption. “The learning for operators of these platforms is that there’s very little consumer loyalty in this space,” says Chen. “When I consider selling something, I’m going to look at every single platform - whichever one gives me the quickest sale, the easiest sale, and the most money.” This dynamic has created a fiercely competitive landscape, with platforms racing to attract sellers by offering the best incentives.  Bazar is taking a different approach to resale, stocking its marketplace with returned, goods brands would struggle to restock without refurbishment, including some fast fashion. “Bazar doesn’t go through the trouble of necessarily fixing items. It’s kind of listed as is, and customers get a ‘what you see is what you get’ experience,” says Morris. Additionally, Bazar allows fast fashion brands like Cider to offload inventory, which many traditional resale platforms avoid. “There is a level of transparency there which is supposed to be a part of the proposition of sustainability and a part of the proposition of resale as well.”As the industry develops, Morris envisions brands taking more ownership of resale, as platforms like Revive are already helping brands create their own resale programs to handle returned merchandise. Such efforts could turn resale into a sustainable, profitable venture, making it a key part of brand operations. “If resale can prove that it is an avenue for [brands] to achieve profitability … I can see it becoming a bigger priority brands which will make the shopping experience all the better for consumers."Additional Resources:Fashion’s Big Opportunity in Reselling the Unsellable | BoFShould Brands Stop Offering Free Returns? | BoF Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Background:Over the past year, the pristine image luxury brands have built on their links to artisanal craft, ethical manufacturing and quality has begun to crumble, buffeted by a scandal that has linked labels including Dior and Armani to sweatshops in Italy. According to investigators in Milan, factories producing for the brands were operating illegally and exploiting workers. Dior and Armani have said the allegations don’t reflect their commitment to ethical practices, but prosecutors say the issues uncovered by the probe are systemic and entrenched. Around a dozen more brands could still be implicated, with further cases expected in the coming months.  This week, BoF senior correspondent Sheena Butler-Young and chief sustainability correspondent Sarah Kent discuss the findings of BoF’s own investigation into how exploitative practices persist in luxury’s supply chains and what the scandal means for the industry. Key Insights: Luxury brands use their high prices and Italian manufacturing to sidestep concerns over labour practices frequently levelled against lower-priced labels. But the problems pervade even Italy’s most exclusive supply chains. “This may seem shocking and surprising to those outside this part of the industry, but in Italian manufacturing, everyone knows,” said Kent. “It's an open secret.”BoF’s investigation found brands routinely turn a blind eye to labour exploitation, ignoring red flags raised by audits and sustainability teams in the interest of convenience and cost. New regulations mean the risks associated with such scandals will soon be much more severe. Under incoming European due-diligence rules, brands could be subject to penalties of up to five percent of global revenue if they fail to adequately monitor and prevent labour abuses in their supply chains. “There are still a lot of questions around how that's going to be enforced and what that might actually mean,” said Kent. “But that is a chunky piece of change for any big company.”Additional Resources:Inside Luxury’s Italian Sweatshops ProblemIs Luxury Finally Set for a Sustainability Reckoning?Are Luxury Brands Still Worth It? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The beauty industry has witnessed a wave of disruptors rise and fall. Brands like Anastasia Beverly Hills, Glossier and Morphe leveraged social media and influencer marketing to achieve rapid success and unicorn valuations. But maintaining momentum has proven challenging, and some of these disruptor brands have seen sales fall and financial hurdles mount. As Glossier proves, there is the possibility of a second chance, but it requires radical changes to the business to pull off. As beauty correspondent Daniela Morosini points out, “The barriers to entry have been removed. You can get a critical mass of fans and build an aesthetic for your brand quite quickly. Making it stick is more difficult.” In today’s crowded market, sustainable growth and a deliberate strategy are essential for standing out.Key Insights: Slower growth in a crowded market can ensure longevity. “It’s the ones that are maybe growing a little bit slower, not having this initial huge rush and then a massive drop-off,” says Morosini. While brands can gain a critical mass of fans and build an aesthetic quickly, sustaining that momentum is much harder in today’s saturated market. “You go on TikTok, and there are 50 brands fighting for your attention. You go to Sephora, there's another 50,” Morosini adds. By focusing on steady, intentional growth, brands are better equipped to stand out and thrive in an environment where consumer choices are overwhelmingly abundant.In a saturated market, having a knowledgeable and authentic founder can differentiate a brand and build trust with consumers. “Brands that had a founder with expertise as a makeup artist or some other kind of professional qualifications helped bear out the brand and add a little bit more credence to it,” says Morosini. These founders often bring a personal approach to their brand, which resonates with consumers.Glossier’s success shows the value of balancing adaptation with staying true to a brand’s core mission. Despite being digital-first, the brand quickly established a physical presence, which “helped enmesh them and establish themselves with more the kind of quote unquote, middle-American consumer, just like a general shopper versus someone who is like a die-hard beauty fan,” explains Morosini. By moving away from an exclusively direct-to-consumer model, Glossier also refocused on its product assortment and customer needs. “Giving up on the DTC-only thing probably allowed them to take a hard look at their product assortment and build out more products that people were really interested in,” Morosini adds.A key lesson for emerging beauty brands is to prepare for both boom and bust cycles. As Morosini explains, “You’re probably going to be getting your most attention both from consumers and investors or acquirers during your fat years. And you need to be ready for the lean years because they're going to come.” She emphasises the importance of hedging strategies, noting, “No matter how well things are going, there will be a competitor snapping at your heels around the corner. Making sure that you’re keeping your strategy and product assortment broad enough to weather that.” Flexibility and foresight are essential to navigating inevitable market shifts.Additional Resources:How Anastasia Beverly Hills Lost Its Footing | BoFUrban Decay’s ‘Naked’ Relaunch Is a Hit. Now Comes the Hard Part. | BoF Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For nearly a decade, the luxury sector has experienced what seemed like limitless growth, with brands like Louis Vuitton, Gucci, and Chanel pushing product prices higher — and seeing consumers pay up. However, recent quarterly reports have marked a sudden shift, with even industry giants reporting disappointing revenue. As luxury editor Robert Willliams explains, “These brands are omnipresent and people are seeing them everywhere. Whether consumers finally pull the trigger is so much about their economic confidence, this feel-good factor. Are things going to be better for me next month than they are today?”This week, BoF executive editor Brian Baskin and luxury editor Robert Williams discuss the forces contributing to this downturn, the implications for top brands and potential strategies luxury players are exploring to reignite growth.Key Insights: Global economic uncertainty has hit U.S. and European luxury spending hard. “Whether they finally pull the trigger [on a big purchase] is about economic confidence,” explains Williams, noting that factors like inflation, wage stagnation, and election cycles have consumers second-guessing expensive purchases. There are similar issues in Europe, with proximity to conflicts in the Middle East, Ukraine and Russia additionally impacting consumer sentiment and spending power.However, according to Williams, the biggest issue is China pulling back on this type of spending. China’s luxury market has always been a growth engine, but changing economic sentiments and less travel due to COVID are affecting luxury sales. “[Chinese consumers] are really holding out for when they feel better about the economy. … They’re holding out for when they can feel like they can get a deal because prices are higher in China than most of the world for luxury brands,” says Williams. Many consumers are frustrated with steep price increases, as seen with Dior’s Lady Dior bag, which has jumped 76% in price since 2019. “Customers are quite fed up with how dramatic the price increases have been often for like for like products,” Williams states, adding that consumers often feel they’re “spending a lot more for something that’s not necessarily as good.” Even if quality hasn’t declined, the perception has, especially with social media spotlighting any issues. “With the way our Internet culture works, if someone has an issue with the product, they can make that so public in a way and really disenchant a lot of people and their audience and make them question, is this high price worth it?”Facing a saturated market after years of rapid growth and price hikes, many forecast that 2025 and 2026 are to be similarly stagnant or negative periods for sales.” Even if it wasn't just a question of the prices or if there weren't these other macroeconomic factors, there could be a sense of having saturated the market, of people needing to be bored with fashion a bit so that then they can rediscover it. I'm not sure that it's the right time to introduce the next big idea if you were the one who had it,” says Williams. “Because if you're among the brands whose sales are quite negative … then how much can you really invest in telling the world that you're the one who has the next big idea?”.Additional Resources:Inside Luxury’s Slowdown | BoFWhy Some Luxury Groups Are Doing Better Than Others | BoF Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In recent years, sports has provided a rich ground for fashion partnerships. Where even three years ago Dior’s tie-up with Paris Saint-Germain was relatively novel, today it’s harder to find luxury brands that aren’t at least dabbling in football, Formula 1 or other sports. These deals are also getting increasingly elaborate, with brands outfitting athletes, teams and even entire leagues on and off the field.  This new wave of partnerships is about more than just looks or finding new audiences — it’s about cultural relevance.  “Fashion brands have looked to [sports] to market their products to groups of consumers who maybe weren’t targeted by these brands previously, and athletes themselves have become major brands and media businesses in their own right,” says BoF sports correspondent Daniel-Yaw Miller.This week on The Debrief, Executive Editor Brian Baskin and Senior Correspondent Sheena Butler-Young sit down with Daniel-Yaw Miller to explore how the worlds of fashion and sports are colliding like never before.Key Insights: For a partnership to be successful, it must feel authentic. Arsenal's collaboration with London-based brand Labrum, which presented a runway show at Arsenal's stadium is a prime example. The jersey colours draw influence from the Pan-African flag and hint to the histories of the players and the club. "That partnership makes sense on a cultural level and fans can buy into that authentic messaging rather than just a logo swap,” he says.As individual athletes gain larger followings, brands see more appeal in creating tailored partnerships with rising stars like Coco Gauff and Angel Reese. “Athletes now have a direct bond with fans that the previous generation of stars never had,” Miller notes. “Sports fans have had insights into Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka’s lives since they were teenagers. They’ve grown with them, and that’s at the very essence of their appeal to these brands.”The rise of women’s sports has opened doors for fashion brands that previously overlooked the sector. "And that's really opened up the sports industry, which has traditionally been extremely male dominated. So a whole range of luxury womenswear brands that previously never really had an entry point into the sports industry,” Miller explains. Some sports struggle to find traction in the fashion world. While Formula 1 has embraced luxury, baseball remains on the sidelines. “Baseball has never quite broken out to have true global appeal in a sense that fashion could leverage,” Miller says. “I think baseball is very similar to where Formula One was before the Liberty Media acquisition, where there was a strict atmosphere around showing an interest in things that are outside the direct line of business for a baseball organisation that's hampered how much the sport and the athletes have been able to be in fashion.”Additional Resources:Fashion’s Sports Obsession Is No Accident | BoF How Athletes Became Fashion Week Royalty | BoF.Inside the Big Business of Styling Athletes | BoF  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Online shopping promises convenience, but finding the right product among thousands – or hundreds of thousands – of options can often feel like a chore. To address this, retailers are experimenting with AI tools that aim to cut through the clutter with improved search capabilities and personalised shopping experiences. These models don’t just match keywords; they understand user intent and interpret complex search terms, moving closer to a more personal shopping experience online.“Search works really well when you know specifically what you're looking for,” senior technology correspondent Marc Bain notes, “but there’s potential for AI to bridge that gap when you don’t.”This week on The Debrief, BoF executive editor Brian Baskin and senior correspondent Sheena Butler-Young sit down with Bain to explore how AI is transforming e-commerce.Key Insights: New AI search tools are evolving past traditional keyword searches, enhancing users’ ability to find what they’re looking for online with greater ease. “These large language models could change search in a way that you can interact with it more naturally,” explains Bain. With AI’s advanced understanding of nuanced searches like “what should I wear to Burning Man?”, these systems can now deliver results based on context, location, and style preferences, making online shopping a more seamless, intuitive experience.AI in e-commerce aims to serve as an attentive, personalised assistant, but brands face the challenge of enhancing the customer experience while maintaining a respectful distance in the digital space. AI must fall on “the right side of the line between concierge and creepy,” Baskin explains. "The ideal is having an online sales associate … where it doesn’t feel like … it’s just throwing products at you to see what sticks,” continues Bain. The goal of AI in e-commerce is to make shopping more intuitive by simplifying search. As Bain notes, “search is notoriously terrible on retail e-commerce sites,” highlighting the need for improvement. However, despite these advancements, consumers may remain hesitant to fully trust AI-driven recommendations. Bain reflects this sentiment, adding, “I would probably look at what it says and then still go do my own research because I don’t fully trust it.” Additional Resources:The E-Commerce Search Bar Gets an AI Makeover | BoF How AI Could Change Online Product Search and Discovery | BoFCase Study | How to Create the Perfect E-Commerce Site | BoF Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A growing number of direct-to-consumer brands are disrupting the luxury market by offering high-quality alternatives at more affordable prices. As traditional luxury brands focus on the ultra-wealthy and fast fashion dominates the budget market, these “dupe” brands cater to middle-class consumers who feel priced out of luxury but still want value for their money. Through transparent pricing and savvy use of social media, they are reshaping how consumers think about value and quality.“The term dupe stems from duplication, but it also does speak to consumer sentiment around pricing today - they do feel duped,” says e-commerce correspondent Malique Morris. “Luxury brands have exponentially raised their prices for hip products in a way that is locking out middle class shoppers who typically could splurge on a few nice bags or a few nice sweaters a year.” Key insights:As luxury brands continue to hike prices for their most popular products, middle-class consumers are feeling increasingly excluded from the luxury market. This sentiment is fueling the rise of brands like Quince and Italic. “Luxury brands have exponentially raised their prices for hip products in a way that is locking out middle class shoppers who typically could splurge on a few nice bags or a few nice sweaters a year,” says Morris. “The check is going to come due for luxury brands to explain why their prices are so high.”Dupe brands take advantage of this dynamic by being open about their costs, breaking down exactly how much it takes to produce their items and what they’re selling them for. “Dupe brands are almost annoyingly transparent about pricing in terms of breaking down,” Morris explains. “That’s refreshing for middle-class shoppers who are seeing the prices of things like milk and eggs rise inexplicably. Outside of this vague bogeyman of inflation, their dreams of owning a Chanel bag is moving further away with no real explanation on that front either.” Platforms like TikTok and Instagram have been instrumental in the rise of dupe brands, where influencers showcase cheaper alternatives to high-end products. However, the sustainability of this trend is uncertain. “If consumers stop caring about dupes and engagement goes down, then social media leverage on this front will die out for these brands, but right now, it really is a boon for them,” says Morris.While price is the main draw for dupe brands now, they will need to evolve beyond being simply the cheaper alternative. “What is our differentiator beyond offering good prices now? What is our storytelling? What are our products that are unique to us? If dupe brands can answer those questions, they’ll stop being seen as just cheaper versions,” says Morris. Additional Resources:What Luxury ‘Dupe’ Brands Get Right About Shoppers | BoF Is Dupe Culture Out of Control? | BoF Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The beauty industry thrives on virality, but in the age of social media, that can be a double-edged sword. One viral TikTok video can catapult a brand to success — or bring it to its knees. From Youthforia’s foundation shade controversy to Huda Beauty’s mislabeling error, brands are discovering that managing customer expectations and addressing backlash swiftly is critical to their survival.“It happens pretty fast when it does happen. … Sometimes it’s an unknown creator who can make [a product] go viral for all the wrong reasons,” says beauty correspondent Daniela Morosini. “You have to be willing to listen when they tell you that you got it wrong.”Key Insights: Building a strong brand community involves more than just creating a product; it means engaging with your customers and allowing them to have a meaningful role in your brand’s development. “If you're going to create a community to help your brand grow, you need to understand that those customers want a seat at the table,” says Morosini. Listening to customer feedback, especially when things go wrong, is crucial. Being proactive in addressing customer complaints is crucial. As demonstrated by Huda Beauty’s mislabeling issue, taking responsibility early on and offering solutions can stop a backlash from spiralling. Morosini notes, “She took full accountability and offered to make everybody whole if they’d bought the wrong shade.”Hair care products, especially those tied to hair loss, tend to evoke emotional responses and intense scrutiny. The stakes are high as hair loss is a sensitive, deeply personal issue. As Morosini points out, “There are so many factors that can cause hair loss… people don't want to roll the dice if there's even a 1% chance a product could be the cause.”Complexion product mishaps can be particularly damaging for beauty brands, as they quickly highlight inclusivity gaps. “It’s just so obvious when a brand has missed the mark with complexion,” says Morosini. “Oftentimes the scandals that seem to cause a lot of blowback, they come back to that exclusionary point,” she adds. “Nobody likes to feel left out.”Additional Resources:What to Do When a Beauty Product Launch Goes Wrong | BoFWhy Beauty Brands Keep Getting Accused of Causing Hair Loss — and What They Can Do About It Editor's Note: The hosts mistakenly identified a YSL blush as a Givenchy blush. BoF regrets this error. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The influencer landscape has shifted dramatically over the last decade. While the image of influencers posting flawless selfies on exotic, brand-sponsored trips still resonates, the reality has become far more complex. Influencers now host live shoppable streams, publish newsletters on Substack and engage in intimate group chats. Their goal is not just to build a following and wait for brands to come calling, but to establish multiple sources of income through affiliate links, brand deals, and subscription models.“Influencers and creators have realised that they need to diversify and be on multiple platforms. They need to be connecting with their followers in multiple ways and have a deeper relationship with their followers,” says Diana Pearl, senior news and features editor. “Even five years ago, there were people who didn't really take this industry very seriously and didn't realise the difference they could make for their brand. Now it is impossible to ignore.”Key Insights:In the evolving digital landscape, influencers and creators are no longer relying on a single platform for success. Diversifying their presence across platforms, from Instagram to Substack, is key. Pearl emphasises, “It’s really all just about diversification... not relying so much on one source, not having to rely so much on Instagram, the algorithm, affiliate links and brand deals.”While macro-influencers may reach a broader audience, smaller influencers often have more engaged, loyal followers. “Once you get so big and you've got millions and millions of followers, you can't have that type of relationship with 5 million people the way you can with 100,000,” says Pearl.The rivalry between influencer marketing platforms LTK and ShopMy highlights a shift in the landscape, with ShopMy offering influencers more control and transparency. Pearl explains that while LTK encourages creators to centralise their content on its app, ShopMy allows influencers to share across platforms. “We know our audience, we know what content resonates with them. But if you hand us this really detailed brief and expect us to act like a traditional ad agency... it’s just not going to come off as authentic,” Pearl explains.The industry is becoming more nuanced, with clear distinctions emerging between influencers and creators. While creators focus on producing unique, engaging content, influencers drive sales and hold sway over purchasing decisions. Influence remains the key asset in the industry, one that can be translated across platforms like Instagram, TikTok, or Substack. "At the end of the day, the most valuable commodity in this business is influence," Pearl explains.By understanding their goals and selecting the right partner to meet them, brands can optimise the impact of their influencer campaigns and better connect with their target audiences. “Brands just need to be smart about what are your goals, what’s the right type of person to achieve these goals or right type of partner and who should we go with from there?” says Pearl. Additional Resources:The Widening Gap Between Influencers and CreatorsThe Fight for Influencer Marketing Dollars Heats UpWhat’s Driving the Influencer Subscription Boom Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For decades, department stores were symbols of American retail success, but their shine has long since faded. Overexpansion that began in the 1990s, the growth of e-commerce and the decline of many malls has left a saturated market, with more stores than there is demand. Major department stores have been struggling for decades to adapt to changes in the way their customers shop, with little to show for it. "These challenges existed ten years ago, but the problem we have today is that it’s getting later and later, and more and more desperate for these department stores. Time is running out, and they still haven’t figured out the solution,” says retail editor Cat Chen.In this episode of The Debrief, BoF senior correspondent Sheena Butler-Young speaks with Chen about why department stores are struggling to stay relevant, how activist investors are complicating the picture, and whether following the approach of European department stores like Selfridges can save this iconic segment of the retail industry.  Key Insights:Activist investors have been targeting department stores like Macy’s and Kohl’s, but they are more interested in these companies’ real estate portfolios than retail. Chen highlights the parallels with Sears, where the investor Eddie Lampert spun out Sears’ real estate into a separate entity, ultimately leading to its bankruptcy. “The sentiment in the industry is that if these companies were bought out by activist investors it would not be a good sign for the health of these department stores. There wouldn’t be a long-term strategy for maintaining their health,” she says.Nordstrom's strategy for revival includes focusing on experiential retail, enhancing customer service, and possibly going private under the Nordstrom family’s ownership. These moves would allow them to invest in the long-term health of the company without the pressure of quarterly earnings. “The Nordstrom family is really set on making some radical, transformative changes to Nordstrom that they just can't make as a public entity,” Chen explains.European department stores are a potential model for American department stores to replicate. “Look at Selfridges or look at Le Bon Marché. People love spending time in those stores — tourists but also locals,” Chen says. Explaining how European stores are treated like flagships, with significant investments in customer experience and meticulous attention to detail, she adds, “these companies invest in the layout of the store — fixtures, carpeting, lighting — all of these details matter, and European department stores have done a great job making it happen.” Additional Resources:Why Nordstrom’s Founding Family Wants to Take the Retailer Private | BoFInnovation Won’t Save Department Stores. The Right Products Will. | BoFCan Saks, Neiman Marcus and Amazon Save the American Department Store? | BoF Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A style renaissance that changed how many men dress – mostly for the better – has congealed into a sea of sameness, at least in the eyes of a growing number of fashion critics and influencers. Too many interchangeable brands take the same approach, blending tailoring with casualwear in neutral-toned collections that are stylish but often fail to inspire. The look is often derided as a menswear “starter pack,” but remains popular with consumers. This week on The Debrief, Brian Baskin sits down with correspondents Malique Morris and Lei Takanashi to discuss why this “starter pack” approach works for the industry - but at the cost of long-term brand building and customer loyalty. Additionally, they probe what brands must do to recapture consumers' imagination.“Any brand can make a good product, but what makes a brand good, especially a good menswear brand, is having a great story that's worth telling,” says Takanashi.Key Insights:Menswear brands today are following a familiar formula, leading to a prevalence of “starter pack” lookbooks. “They all do some sort of version of this. Approachability, timeless, stylish and handsome but inoffensive look,” says Morris. This marketing playbook, popularised by brands like Aimé Leon Dore and followed by many others, has led to a lack of creativity and experimentation. As Morris puts it, “everything is good and nothing is great. So if everyone can dress well, then no one is actually cool.”What makes brands stand out over decades isn’t radical changes in design, but compelling storytelling and mythmaking. Morris argues consumers may not be loyal to today’s menswear brands in the long term if they're just buying into a trendy and easy to copy aesthetic. But Takanashi notes that for certain brands that are seen as authentically embracing this style, their best bet is stick to what’s worked: “I feel like in the case of brands like Aimé Leon Dore and Supreme, the long game for them is becoming a heritage label … they have such a distinct point of view that they will always have a core consumer.” As Morris puts it, “what brands should think about is just being themselves.”Additional resources:Why Menswear Is Getting a Marketing Refresh | BoFCan Off-White Get Back on Track? | BoFHow the Streetwear Customer Is Evolving | BoF Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Luxury fashion remains an exclusive club, where leadership positions are often filled from within tight, familiar circles. Despite industry-wide commitments to diversity and inclusion, the sector continues to struggle with gender and racial diversity in its top creative roles. Many luxury companies still operate within networks that favour traditional backgrounds, making it difficult for new, diverse talent to break through.“It's a role where I think people's unconscious biases really can come into play because whether or not they receive something as good design or bad design is going to be so much influenced by the person who told them that it's good design or bad design,” said BoF’s Luxury Editor Robert Williams. This week on The Debrief, BoF Senior Correspondent Sheena Butler-Young sat down with Williams to discuss the structural barriers that keep women and minorities from ascending to these coveted positions. They explore how the industry’s patriarchal business models perpetuate these challenges, the influence of consumer expectations in driving change, and how mass brands like Uniqlo are beginning to shift the narrative by appointing creative directors from unconventional backgrounds.  Key Insights:The role of the creative director in luxury fashion has traditionally been defined by a singular, authoritative voice that dictates trends and tastes, often imposing what is considered "right" or "wrong" in design. Williams explains that this model, which elevates the creative director as a gatekeeper of style, makes it challenging for those who don't fit the traditional mould of authority in fashion to rise to the top.“The creative director defined in a very traditional sense … is so much about imposing this authority from the top. And while that's not how everyone operates a brand anymore, … when you have that tradition, that makes it harder for people who don't fit the bill of what someone is used to seeing as a person of authority and in power to rise up.” Women in creative leadership face unique challenges, needing to prove their creative vision with commercial success. Williams explains, “Women have had to maybe back up their creative contributions with commercial results. And I think when you look at the women at the top of the luxury industry, you have a group of women who really know how to say something on the runway and say something with the brand. But then also really to back that up with products that women will want to buy and wear.” This dual expectation places added pressure on women creative directors, which may not be applied to their male counterparts.Luxury fashion remains a highly insular industry, where hiring and promotion often occur within exclusive networks that favour familiar faces and traditional backgrounds. “Many luxury companies still operate within a very exclusive network, which makes it difficult for new, diverse talent to break in,” Williams notes. “It's a very contacts and relationship driven industry, and so reinforcing diversity is quite tricky. If the people in positions of power don't have a really diverse group around them, it's going to be less and less likely that they're going to find out about an interesting talent, someone that they want to kind of cut into the action in terms of their studio.”Additional Resources:Luxury Fashion’s Designer Diversity Problem Persists | BoFDo Mass Brands Need Creative Directors? | BoF Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shein has fundamentally changed the fashion market, challenging fast fashion giants that were not so long ago in the disruptor position themselves. Once the category's upstart, H&M now finds itself struggling to keep pace as Shein redefines consumer expectations with ultra-low prices, endless selection and lightning-fast production. In response, H&M’s new CEO has unveiled a strategy to target the elusive middle market, hoping to position the retailer as more affordable than Zara but higher-quality than Shein. This week on The BoF Podcast, executive editor Brian Baskin sat down with Senior Sustainability Correspondent Sarah Kent and Retail Correspondent Cat Chen to delve into the contrasting paths of these two retail giants and what it means for the future of fashion.“H&M has been stuck in the middle with kind of a muddled identity … It's trying to figure out how to differentiate itself,” said Chen. Meanwhile, Shein’s breakneck growth comes with a heavy environmental toll, raising questions about the industry’s efforts to reduce emissions.“Shein’s growth is phenomenal, but its environmental impact has grown even faster than its sales… now outpacing all other large fashion companies,” Kent said.Key Insights:H&M’s CEO Daniel Ervér is focusing on a strategy to occupy the middle ground between ultra-budget brands like Shein and more premium fast fashion like Zara. The goal is to appeal to both ends of the market with a mix of affordable basics and higher-end pieces, as Ervér explained to Chen in her interview with the CEO. “[Ervér] said they were committed to this position of wanting to offer something to everybody.Shein’s rapid growth has turned it into fashion’s biggest polluter, surpassing even Inditex in emissions. The company’s production model, reliance on cheap polyester, and coal-powered manufacturing contribute heavily to its environmental impact. “Over the last three years, their emissions have tripled as their sales have grown hugely,” Kent explained. Shein’s rapid growth has turned it into fashion’s biggest polluter, surpassing even Inditex in emissions. The company’s production model, reliance on cheap polyester, and coal-powered manufacturing contribute heavily to its environmental impact. “Over the last three years, their emissions have tripled as their sales have grown hugely,” Kent explained. As Shein continues its rapid growth, the company faces increasing scrutiny from regulators and potential investors regarding its environmental and labour practices. But Shein is unlikely to face major restrictions on how it operates anytime soon. “The hand of regulation moves slowly, and so far, most companies are being asked to provide a bit more transparency,” Kent said. “No one's facing any real penalties for being the worst polluter at the moment.” Shein’s growth may be peaking, creating opportunities for competitors like H&M. The market is always evolving, allowing established brands to find ways to stand out. “We are at the end of the beginning for Shein and Temu. … And at the end of the day, there will always be new disruptors,” Chen shared.Additional resources:H&M’s Big Bet on Fashion’s Elusive Middle Shein Emissions: Fashion’s Biggest Polluter? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nike’s streak as the undisputed leader in the activewear category spans generations, but the brand is facing its most significant hurdles in decades. However, recent shifts in leadership, oversupply issues and a botched direct-to-consumer strategy have chipped away at its once-untouchable brand image. As challengers like Hoka and On gain ground, and archrival Adidas surges, Nike faces mounting pressure to innovate and reconnect with consumers. “Nike remains a behemoth, … but all is not well,” says Miller. “The brand is on course for its worst financial performance in over a quarter of a century, and unfortunately for Nike, trouble is happening everywhere, all over the brand.”This week on The Debrief, BoF executive editor Brian Baskin and senior correspondent Sheena Butler-Young sit down with sports correspondent Daniel-Yaw Miller to explore how Nike fell off track and the strategic moves it’s making to reclaim its market dominance.Key insightsNike’s reliance on retro sneaker lines like Air Force 1 and Dunks is driving consumer fatigue, as these once-coveted styles now languish on shelves. “At one point not so long ago, they were like gold dust,” says Miller. “But now they’re sitting on shelves for months and sometimes being discounted.” This overabundance is diluting the brand’s appeal and paving the way for smaller, more agile competitors to capture the spotlight.Despite substantial investment in R&D, Nike’s innovation efforts have faltered, allowing rivals to define the next wave of sneaker trends, like performance sport styles and technology-driven designs. “Nike didn’t really have any new products to turn to and point consumers towards,” says Miller. Brands like On and Hoka have gained traction with innovations such as On’s CloudTec Technology and Hoka’s MetaRocker running silhouette.The “Winning Isn’t For Everyone” campaign marks a return to Nike’s swaggering marketing playbook of the 90s and 2000s, and a potential early sign of the brand’s resurgence. “It wasn’t just one simple video; it was meant to communicate a new brand ethos,” Miller explains. “This Nike campaign needed to be divisive. Consumers are looking for brands that have a point of view, and that’s what Nike is trying to bring back.”Additional resourcesHow Nike Ran Off CourseInside Nike’s Big Marketing Vibe ShiftThe Rise of Sportswear’s Challenger Brands, in Four ChartsThe Debate Over Nike’s CEO Bursts Into the Open | BoF Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the first female, Black, and South Asian Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris’s every move is closely watched — from her policy decisions to her wardrobe. With Harris now leading the Democratic ticket in the 2024 presidential election, her style and beauty choices — from her for her sleek silk press hairstyle to her endless variety of pantsuits — have sparked renewed discussion. “She is communicating something, even if it's not remarkable,” said BoF senior correspondent Sheena Butler-Young. “No one truly opts out of signalling something with how they present themselves.”This week on The Debrief, BoF executive editor Brian Baskin sat down with Butler-Young and editorial apprentice Yola Mzizi to explore how Harris’s beauty and fashion choices are being interpreted by different audiences across the political spectrum, and what that means for the future of political style. Key Insights:Harris’s signature silk-pressed hairstyle has deep roots. “It's a centuries old way of straightening hair, and it's been around for generations upon generations. Most people associate it with just the hair that they have to have for Easter Sunday, or the style that the grandmothers would have,” Mzizi explains. Despite the history, Black Gen-Z voters have embraced the style, calling it the presidential silk press. “It's a way to support her candidacy in a fun way,” said Mzizi. Harris’ wardrobe choices are being closely scrutinised, which has led her to more streamlined, straightforward ensembles. “The pantsuits, specifically the colour schemes — black, grey, navy blue, or just blues, with an occasional pastel, a pump as the shoe, or occasional Converse and pearls — are very much in line with how politicians dress,” said Butler-Young. Meanwhile, male politicians, like Harris’s vice-presidential nominee, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, have more freedom to experiment. “You look at her running mate Tim Walz, and his ability to sort of play around with style with those well-worn red wing boots, the camouflage hats, rather than being distracting, they actually endear some voters to him. … Kamala, for all intents and purposes, doesn't seem to have the licence to do that.” The 2024 election has highlighted the growing role of fashion and beauty in politics. Black-owned beauty brand BLK/OPL was centre stage at the DNC providing makeup services as the event’s first beauty sponsor. “Harris's candidacy is opening up new avenues for different kinds of brands to have their say in this larger conversation,” Mzizi notes.Should Harris win the presidency, she could use her platform to further influence the intersection of fashion and politics. Harris has already hinted at this with her past choices by wearing Black designers like Christopher John Rogers and Sergio Hudson. “She'll have more leeway to [support minority designers] when she's empowered. Right now, I think she's constrained … by this idea of having to cater to this broad, collective public palette.”Additional resourcesHow Kamala Harris’ Signature Tresses Became a Gen-Z Hit | BoF Why Kamala Harris Isn’t Making Bold Fashion Choices – Yet | BoF  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2024 has brought forth the arrival of the “Sephora tweens,” which refers to members of Gen Alpha (roughly defined as those born between 2010 and 2024) who have enthusiastically taken to buying up skincare and makeup. This phenomenon, driven largely by beauty-related chatter on social media, has resulted in a new wave of brands catering specifically to this younger demographic.“There are now teen brands, tween brands, 20-something brands, 30-something brands. … I think we can thank the DTC movement and everything that happened from 2014 on for this kind of innovation,” Rao says. “There's been a total disruption in beauty overall with challenger brands like Glossier that have come and really taken market share away from the big conglomerates and companies … that have been household names for a really long time.”This week on The BoF Podcast, senior correspondent Sheena Butler-Young and executive editor Brian Baskin sat down with Priya Rao, executive editor at The Business of Beauty at BoF, to delve into how tweens have taken over the beauty aisle and what this means for the future of the industry.Key Insights Kids have long experimented with beauty products, but today, they’re starting earlier and earlier. "If you look at social media today, it's not just 10-year-olds or 11-year-olds. There are 5- and 6-year-olds putting on makeup and trying different lipsticks and lip glosses," shared Rao. This early engagement with beauty is not just a passing trend, but is becoming a norm, fueled by the accessibility of products to try in stores like Sephora and the influence of social media platforms like TikTok.Another driving force behind this trend is the rise of celebrity-led beauty brands that resonate with young people. For example, Rare Beauty, founded by Selena Gomez, not only offers products but also promotes mental health awareness. "Tweens and teens can identify with these brands not just because of the products, but because of what they stand for," explained Rao.The proliferation of skincare products has also led to some confusion and concern, with tweens using products like retinol that are meant for an older demographic. Brands and influencers play a crucial role in teaching young consumers what’s right for their skin. "Fear is not the way to lead here. It's about education first," advised Rao. Brands must strike a balance between engaging young consumers without overwhelming them with too many steps or products.As the beauty industry continues to evolve, brands that wish to stay ahead will need to be responsive to the needs of Gen-Z and Gen Alpha consumers. "Smart companies have to be agile and constantly communicate with their customers," noted Rao. This means reflecting the diverse experiences of young consumers back to them, whether through representation in ad campaigns or through the products themselves.Additional resources How Tweens Took Over the Beauty Aisle | BoFHow Should We Feel About Tweens at Sephora? | BoFTweens Obsessed With Skin Care Drive Brands to Say: Don’t Buy Our Stuff Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Many of fashion’s largest manufacturing hubs, particularly in South and Southeast Asia, are increasingly at risk of dangerous, record-breaking heatwaves. As extreme heat becomes more frequent, more intense and longer-lasting, what is the cost to industry and how will we adapt to the growing climate risks? Senior correspondent, Sheena Butler-Young and executive editor, Brian Baskin sat down with BoF sustainability correspondent Sarah Kent to understand what rising global temperatures means for the future of garment production.“We have to assume that it's the new norm and or at least a new baseline. It’s not like every year will necessarily be as bad, but consistently over time, the expectation is things are going to get hotter for longer,” says Kent. “We both have to take steps to mitigate and prevent things getting worse, and we have to accept that we have not done enough to stop things getting this bad - and so we have to adapt as well.” Key insightsExtreme heat leads to productivity problems, including increased instances of illness and malfunctioning machinery — even air conditioning units. The reason this isn't surfacing as a significant supply chain issue is that it occurs in short, sharp bursts. “The supply chain is flexible enough and sophisticated enough that it can be papered over for the moment, particularly at a time when demand is not at its peak,” shared Kent.  “Not all factories are working at full capacity all the time, so if your productivity isn't 100% you can manage that for a few days or a week.”When it comes to working conditions in garment factories, climate also tends to take a backseat, both for manufacturers and, often, the workers themselves. “The biggest issue for a worker is going to be okay, I'm not earning enough to feed my family, my job isn't secure, and then it's really hot and that’s making it worse,” Kent recalled hearing from union representatives in Bangladesh. Whilst brands understand the interconnectivity between their emissions and supply chain issues, the drive to produce what consumers want as swiftly and cheaply as possible doesn’t leave much room for manufacturers to prioritise investments to improve their environmental footprint or adapt their factories to be more resilient to climate extremes. “We're going to need to raise the prices in order to do that. That becomes a very tricky conversation very quickly,” says Sarah. “The disconnect is between the delightful picture of peace, love, Kumbaya, green planet that the industry would like to suggest that it is gunning for, whilst at the same time paying prices that in no way support that.”Additional resources Why Hotter Weather Matters for Fashion | BoFWhat Happens When It’s Too Hot to Make Fashion? | BoF. Too Hot to Handle? | BoF Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Occasionwear’s late-pandemic comeback may have felt like a reactionary fluke, but retailers and designers are betting it’s more than a trend. Background: Post-pandemic, occasionwear has been booming. During the second half of 2022 US and UK retailers introduced nearly twice as many dresses embellished with sequins, beads and jewels compared to 2019, according to retail intelligence firm Edited,. Over the same period, sequined dresses sold out 52 percent more compared to 2019, while high-heel shoes sold out 121 percent more. Retailers and designers don’t think the trend will slow any time soon as bold looks continue to flood runways and shop floors.“It's natural that now that the world is even more open compared to last year when we had just gotten vaccinated, that there's this desire for a little bit of escapism,” said Cathaleen Chen, BoF retail correspondent.  Key Insights: Outside of work-from-home and sweatpants, there’s a growing appetite for loud, statement pieces that go beyond old occasionwear staples like sequins and bold colours, and expand into split-hem pants, corset tops and velvet shoes. Much about dressing up has changed too. Consumers are looking for versatility now more than ever, and demanding comfort out of occasionwear — opting for kitten heels rather than stilettos, and slip dresses rather than form fitting looks. Though some of the uptick can be chalked up to a pandemic hangover, and some styles will stay while others fade away, the statement dressing category will remain strong through 2023. Still, cycles of consumption and consumer sentiment remain unwieldy amid wider economic uncertainty.Further Reading: Hyper Growth Is Over for Sneakers. What’s Next?Why Sequins and Platform Heels Are Here to StayJoin BoF Professional today with our exclusive podcast listener discount of 25% off an annual membership, follow the link here and enter the coupon code ‘debrief’ at checkout.Want more from The Business of Fashion? Subscribe to our daily newsletter here.Follow The Debrief wherever you listen to podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Priya Rao, executive editor, Business of Beauty, joins Lauren Sherman to unpack how the singer’s lifestyle label has managed to build a loyal fan base — without his direct involvement. Background: Harry Styles has managed to pull off a feat that has eluded countless celebrities, despite their many attempts: Building a popular beauty brand. He’s managed to do so even while taking a backseat when it comes to running Pleasing, his lifestyle line which predominantly sells nail polish as well as skin care and sweatshirts. Since launching in November 2022, Styles has not talked much about Pleasing publicly or on social media. But, the brand, created in partnership with his stylist Harry Lambert and creative director Molly Hawkins, has generated a plugged-in community of loyalists nonetheless. “[Celebrities] are coming out with these really full lines that have nothing to do with what they’ve been about before. Pleasing really feels like Harry … like you’re getting a piece of Harry when you buy [products],” said Priya Rao, executive editor, Business of Beauty.Key Insights: The Pleasing team, including stylist Harry Lambert and creative director Molly Hawkins, have distilled Styles’ aesthetic into a burgeoning brand — with fans who feel they’re buying a piece of the singer when they shop. Styles’ hands off approach has given the brand an interesting air of mystery, and his fanatical fans have helped build hype by visiting the brands’ maximalist pop-ups and collecting every colour of polish. Just because a celebrity or influencer has fans doesn’t mean their brand will be a hit — products have to be effective and messaging has to be on point for a label to have staying power.  Additional resources:Why Harry Styles Fans Can’t Get Enough of Pleasing Why Do We Root Against Celebrity Beauty Brands?The State of the Celebrity Beauty BrandWhy Male Celebrities Are Launching Nail LinesJoin BoF Professional today with our exclusive podcast listener discount of 25% off an annual membership, follow the link here and enter the coupon code ‘debrief’ at checkout.Want more from The Business of Fashion? Subscribe to our daily newsletter here.Follow The Debrief wherever you listen to podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A new BoF Insights report tracks the evolution of the fast-growing high-end footwear market — and why luxury shoppers are willing to spend more than ever on the perfect shoe. Background: Luxury footwear is booming as consumers opt to spend more than ever on shoes with soaring prices. The market for designer shoes is set to grow to $40 billion by 2027, up from $31 billion in 2022, according to Euromonitor International. As consumer demand grows, competition is heating up for brands from Manolo Blahnik and Christian Louboutin to Chanel and Prada who stake much of their businesses on the core segment. The market is much-changed: shoppers crave comfort, but also newness and uniqueness. They also have more choices than ever: cowboy boots, Mary Janes, stilettos and mules have been trending recently. “There was this vibe shift occurring post-pandemic. The shoes that consumers want today look and feel very different from what they had before,” said Diana Lee, BoF’s director of research and analysis, on the heels of publishing BoF Insights’ latest report “The Statement Shoe: Reimagining Designer Footwear.” Key Insights: The footwear category is poised for growth this year: 84 percent of consumers surveyed across the UK, US and China told BoF Insights they were planning on investing in footwear in the coming year. At the same time, prices for women’s footwear have increased 10 percent from 2019. Shoes have gotten more expensive, partially, thanks to streetwear’s hype cycle, which has conditioned consumers to shell out for limited edition items. Of course, inflation and rising costs across the supply chain have contributed to increases. Much about the footwear market has changed. Mass trends toward casualisation have led consumers to seek out comfort, primarily, when buying shoes. Still, high heels are performing well following the return of in-person events. And, the high heel space has seen a sort of reinvention as brands opt for designs that grab consumers attention — like Loewe’s eggshell and balloon designs. Meanwhile, newcomers like Amina Muaddi are stealing share. Additional resources:BoF Insights | The New Statement Shoe: Reimagining Designer FootwearBoF Insights | What’s Next for Luxury Shoes in 5 ChartsJoin BoF Professional today with our exclusive podcast listener discount of 25% off an annual membership, follow the link here and enter the coupon code ‘debrief’ at checkout. Want more from The Business of Fashion? Subscribe to our daily newsletter here.Follow The Debrief wherever you listen to podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Background: For fashion, one of the most alluring prospects for NFTs is how they could help brands collect royalties — forever — on secondary sales of physical goods. Though the mechanics of doing so are not ironed out yet, brands could ideally code NFTs tied to physical products with smart contracts triggered by certain conditions and benefit every time an item is sold, not just at the initial sale. But, technical loopholes used to circumvent loyalties and finicky marketplaces leave brands and creators without ways to enforce rules. “One of the big principles of Web3 is these royalties are the idea that it's a creator led economy, it wouldn’t necessarily be controlled by a big centralised organisation … Except that’s not really playing out,” said BoF technology correspondent Marc Bain. Key Insights: Marketplaces are responding to controversy over enforcing royalties. Opensea, one of the biggest Web3 marketplaces, wants to attract creators, so it has an incentive to honour creator royalties. Newer marketplaces just looking for sales are willing to cut fees for buyers. This has led to an existential crisis for the NFT community, showcasing that creators are not entirely in charge in a space that was touted as having enormous potential to empower them. Marketplaces and infrastructure for fashion brands that would want to get royalties for secondary sales don’t exist right now. It also remains to be seen how brands would scale such a system. A number of start-ups including EON and Aurora Blockchain Consortium are working on linking digital identities to physical goods, but doing so is complicated. Additional resources:Is Fashion’s NFT Dream Over Before It Started?How Fashion Is Using NFTs to Sell Exclusive Physical ProductsThe Secrets to a Successful NFT DropJoin BoF Professional today with our exclusive podcast listener discount of 25% off an annual membership, follow the link here and enter the coupon code ‘debrief’ at checkout. Want more from The Business of Fashion? Subscribe to our daily newsletter here.Follow The Debrief wherever you listen to podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Much has changed about the world since the last recession — meaning, fashion’s reaction will shift this time around, explains BoF’s workplace and talent correspondent Sheena Butler Young.  Background:Fashion is bracing itself for a 2023 filled with uncertainty. An impending recession hangs in the background of executives’ conversations about the year ahead. Leaders will have to strike a balance between safe-guarding their companies (which, may inevitably will include layoffs) while continuing to fuel growth and retaining crucial employees“There’s this mindshift shift that’s happened that people truly aren’t disposable … a lot of things that would have typically happened [during a recession] are now a last resort,” said BoF’s workplace and talent correspondent Sheena Butler-Young. Key Insights: In the coming months, fashion executives will inevitably start pulling recession-reaction levers, including doing hiring pauses and layoffs, reorganising responsibilities across teams and reigning in focus on experimental spaces like the metaverse. But, market conditions are different now compared to prior recessions, and the industry has changed drastically. Because of the labour shortage, CEOs are first and foremost focused on keeping workers happy. Teams that were once considered “nice-to-haves” and “first-to-gos” — including sustainability and diversity and inclusion — have become crucial to business function for fashion companies in the past few years. Additional resources:Advice From Fashion CEOs on Leading in a RecessionQuiet Quitting, Labour Hoarding and Other Workplace Trends, ExplainedFollow The Debrief wherever you listen to podcasts. Join BoF Professional today with our exclusive podcast listener discount of 25% off an annual membership, follow the link here and enter the coupon code ‘debrief’ at checkout. Want more from The Business of Fashion? Subscribe to our daily newsletter here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A number of products made from leather alternatives have begun to hit store shelves. BoF’s chief sustainability correspondent Sarah Kent unpacks why it's so hard to market — and scale — these new products.Background: Leather alternatives have been called both industry-changing eco-innovation, and dismissed as mere plastic — covering up complexities in how products are made and how much better or worse for the environment they are. At the same time, brands are increasingly using buzzy terms like “vegan leather” and “plant-based” to sell products, without doing much to explain their environmental impact.“You have to be very careful and very switched on to understand what it is you’re buying as a consumer,” said BoF chief sustainability correspondent Sarah Kent.  Key Insights: The emergence of items made with alternative materials — like mycelium, also known as mushroom “leather” — has sparked a conversation about how brands should name and market products without greenwashing.Because innovation is in its early stages, it's hard to understand, track and compare impact versus leather. Without clear data, the space is difficult to regulate.  Plastic is a dirty word. But, the material is so useful, it's hard to replace in fashion. Most available leather alternatives aren’t plastic free, but rather, just feature reduced plastic content. For brands working with such materials, the best course of action when it comes to talking about them is to be transparent with the consumer — rather than leading them to believe they’re buying a magic, new harmless material. Additional resources:The Truth About ‘Vegan Leather’ The Debrief: Is This the Beginning of the End for Leather?Join BoF Professional today with our exclusive podcast listener discount of 25% off an annual membership, follow the link here and enter the coupon code ‘debrief’ at checkout. Want more from The Business of Fashion? Subscribe to our daily newsletter here.Follow The Debrief wherever you listen to podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the past decade, the independent label has grown from downtown storefront to indie force with $40 million in net sales so far this year. BoF contributor M.C. Nanda breaks down how founder Gaëlle Drevet did it. Background: Whether you know it or not, you’ve come across The Frankie Shop. Founded by former journalist Gaëlle Drevet in 2014, the brand’s monochrome tracksuits, oversized blazers, T-shirts and cargo pants have become almost ubiquitous amongst a certain set of Instagram creators, and a staple for downtown fashion types across the globe. Over the past few years, the brand has expanded from a single Lower East Side Manhattan store front, to three (including two in Paris), inked retail partnerships with Matchesfashion and Ssense, and generated $40 million in net sales so far this year. Now, The Frankie Shop is charting its next phase of growth, with expansion into menswear and home. “There is consistent demand — they’re not over extending themselves, which I think can be a really hard brand to toe as a brand of this size,” said BoF contributor M.C. Nanda. Key Insights: The Frankie Shop started as a multi-brand store carrying up-and-coming brands that are now industry mainstays, including Ganni and Loulou Studio.Drevet soon started producing her own items. Her label took off partially because of her ability to stay attuned to, and draw in influencers with newness and keen styling — without having to resort to paid posts. The brand has managed to toe the lines between cool and cheesy, high end and accessible, basic and trendy. Often, items are paired with pieces from higher end labels like Toteme and The Row. The Frankie Shop operates on a drop model, which has kept it in demand and helped the independent brand grow in a manageable way without taking on additional funding. Additional resources:What’s Next for The Frankie ShopAimé Leon Dore’s Teddy Santis on New Balance and the Future of MenswearJoin BoF Professional today with our exclusive podcast listener discount of 25% off an annual membership, follow the link here and enter the coupon code ‘debrief’ at checkout. Want more from The Business of Fashion? Subscribe to our daily newsletter here.Follow The Debrief wherever you listen to podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

BoF retail correspondent Cathaleen Chen details the consumer shifts that have made it easier — and more popular than ever — to buy luxury dupes. Background: A growing number of young consumers are embracing counterfeit Prada loafers and Gucci bags, as the internet has made access to these dupes easier than ever. The value of the fake and pirated goods market has tripled since 2013 to be worth $3 trillion, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. That’s thanks to a number of factors. For one, websites like Aliexpress and DHgate connect consumers directly with counterfeit manufacturers. It’s no longer a necessity for the dupe-curious shopper to visit the shady alleys of Canal Street. Meanwhile, the skyrocketing prices of luxury products are pushing aspirational shoppers away. At the same time, the quality of luxury goods has diminished as much production has been outsourced to Asia, narrowing the gap between what’s real and what’s fake. Lastly, social media and constant seasonal trends have conditioned consumers to covet not only the “it” bag of the season but shoes, tank tops and more. “I think there’s a sense of consumer alienation with luxury goods — where it's like you’re super close to it, but at the same time it's extremely inaccessible,” said retail correspondent Cathaleen Chen. Key Insights: Counterfeits have gotten much easier to find and buy: Chinese websites like DHgate and AliExpress ship inexpensive dupes to Western consumers’ doorsteps.The counterfeit surge doesn't seem to be affecting the bottom lines of luxury goods companies, whose profits have only risen in the past few years. Resale plays an interesting role in the counterfeit conversation. On the one hand, resale could curb the continued growth of dupes by providing shoppers an entry to luxury pieces. On the other, resale is particularly vulnerable to fakes, as platforms have to be on guard against ever-more-sophisticated fakes. Additional resources:https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/luxury/fashion-counterfeit-problem-authentication-technology/ https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/global-markets/china-luxury-counterfeits-flourish-louis-vuitton-covid-19-douyin-pinduoduo/Join BoF Professional today with our exclusive podcast listener discount of 25% off an annual membership, follow the link here and enter the coupon code ‘debrief’ at checkout.  Want more from The Business of Fashion? Subscribe to our daily newsletter here. Follow The Debrief wherever you listen to podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the economy weakens and funding dries up, digital brands may face pressure to sell from investors. To do so, they’ll need to prove they’re more than just another money-losing start-up.Background:Over the past few years, investors have been bullish on fast-growing digital brands — rewarding their rapid sales growth with sky-high valuations. More recently, physical retail has rebounded and e-commerce sales have shrunk. As a result, a number of digital-first brands are burning through cash as inflation and the cost of goods rises. VCs are increasingly wary of investing in companies without clear paths to profitability, so a number of those money-losing labels are finding it difficult to raise funds. Many, with few options to weather the imminent recession, are looking for an exit. “A great deal of these digital brands were growing at all costs… people did not anticipate a large slowdown and then a possible recession — so they weren’t managing their money well,” said Malique Morris, BoF direct-to-consumer correspondent. Key Insights:To catch the eye of a potential investor, brands must focus on profitability. But they also need to set themselves apart with new ideas and business models. A number of retailers struggling to adapt to shifting consumer tastes — like Victoria’s Secret, which acquired lingerie start-up Adore Me in November — are in need of a boost. To set the stage for an attractive exit, Ministry of Supply, which sells wrinkle-free dress shirts, has focused on getting old customers to make additional purchases, rather than acquire new ones. Seeing lower valuations, profitable brands that are attractive acquisition targets don’t have much incentive to sell at the moment. Additional Resources:https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/direct-to-consumer/buck-mason-ministry-of-supply-adore-me-dtc-acquisitions-/https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/entrepreneurship/why-venture-capital-is-a-bad-fit-for-most-fashion-businesses/https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/entrepreneurship/a-new-model-for-funding-fashion-start-ups/Join BoF Professional today with our exclusive podcast listener discount of 25% off an annual membership, follow the link here and enter the coupon code ‘debrief’ at checkout.  Want more from The Business of Fashion? Subscribe to our daily newsletter here. Follow The Debrief wherever you listen to podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The BoF Insights team shares details from their recent report on why these young consumers are so crucial to the success of the fashion industry — and what brands can do to woo them. Background: Gen-Z, or those born between 1997 and 2010, accounts for 25 percent of the world’s population. With the oldest of the generation turning 25 this year, the group has already come into its own with a purchasing power of about $360 billion. Fashion brands have always chased youth, but Gen-Z brings a whole new set of marketing challenges. Having grown up in the midst of rapid technological advancement, a worsening climate crisis and global movements like Me Too and Black Lives Matter, Gen-Z has been characterised as more pragmatic and socially aware, while also being trend-fixated. The contradictions are endless.Key Insights: Sometimes, Gen-Z contradicts itself. For example, top fashion brands including Nike and Gucci were among the general group’s favourite brands — but smaller focus groups said they wanted to support underrepresented designers. As well, fast fashion brands like Shein are popular, but the group says they care about sustainability. Gen-Zers increasingly impact the economy. However, the group will come into its own with more financial insecurity than those before it. BoF Insights distilled the demographic down to a few key personas with distinct characteristics to understand its habits and behaviours: the forgers, signatures, satellites, rebels, explorers and idealists. Generally, brands should communicate with Gen-Z in a casual, natural, community-forward way. The group is less beholden to traditional tastemakers, and trends move fast. BoF Insights is the new data and analysis think tank from The Business of Fashion, arming fashion and luxury professionals with the business intelligence they need to make better strategic decisions. For more insights, please see BoF Insights’ archive on topics like designer bags, resale, digital fashion, and fashion’s supply chain.Additional resources:https://www.businessoffashion.com/reports/retail/gen-z-fashion-in-the-age-of-realism-bof-insights-social-media-report/https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/retail/implications-of-gen-z-for-the-fashion-industry-bof-insights-charts/https://www.businessoffashion.com/events/retail/gen-z-and-fashion-in-the-age-of-realism-bof-live-insights-report/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A panel of experts, including BoF’s Lauren Sherman and Diana Pearl, detail how the business of influencing has evolved — and where it's all going. Things move fast on the internet. In just the past few years, there have been a number of changes in the social media space and the influencer economy built around it. For one, brands are betting on influencers with day jobs, working with creators like Sky Ting Yoga founder Krissy Jones or James Whiteside, principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre, as they look for relatable ambassadors to reach engaged audiences. The line between the average social media user and influencer is increasingly blurred as non-influencers endorse products online. Widely, people learn more about brands from other people, rather than brands’ own storytelling. It's becoming even more important for brands to be on every platform — and influencers to have their own platforms. Key Insights: In many ways, the shift represents a return to old days of influence — where hobbyists set up YouTube channels and churned out authentic content viewers found refreshingly relatable. Influencer pay increased almost 50 percent overall from 2020 to mid-2021, said Nord. But, there are a lot more influencers getting paid, which means more competition as brands have a deepening pool of options. There’s been a shift to video-first content. And younger generations are starting to snag brand deals from more established figures. Overall, marketers are paying whether influencers actually have influence — not just followers. Additional Resources:Why You Should Hire an Influencer With a Day Job: Influencers who gained online fame for offline pursuits are rapidly earning brand attention, but working with them requires a different type of partnership.Why Nordstrom Appears to Be Pivoting Away From Influencers: Influencers helped turn Nordstrom’s Anniversary Sale into a major moment for the department store. This year, they say the retailer is leaning less on social media marketing, leading some creators to downplay the annual event.Is Now the Time to Hire a Virtual Influencer? Virtual influencers had faded from fashion campaigns, but now amid all the metaverse hype they’re popping up again, with Prada and Pacsun turning to virtual faces.The Complete Guide to Influencer Marketing: As the creator space has matured, brands must be thoughtful about crafting a strategy that leverages influencer marketing’s full power, considering everything from talent scouting to the effectiveness of metrics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Background: After years of build up, from its origins in cultural movements like New York’s hip-hop scene and LA’s skating community to early commercialisation in the early 2000s from brands like Fubu and Stussy and Japanese designers Nigo and Hiroshi Fujiwara, by the late 2010s, streetwear found itself at the centre of luxury fashion. The breaking point came in 2018, when, after success at his label Off-White, Virgil Abloh was named creative director of Louis Vuitton. But lately, streetwear institutions like Bape and Stussy have been losing heat — and luxury brands are pivoting away from streetwear staples like hoodies and sneakers. “Streetwear brands are more commercial and less connected to the actual street culture where they found their roots,” said BoF editorial associate Daniel-Yaw Miller. Key Insights: Streetwear brought items like puffer jackets and hoodies, graffiti details and logo-centric designs to high fashion runways. Lately, designers have been more focused on harder shoes, knitwear and tailoring. But, streetwear-centric items haven’t disappeared from brands’ assortments, they’re more absorbed into the core offerings — and in consumers' day-to-day wardrobe. A new crop of brands, including Daily Paper, Corteiz and Free The Youth, are making the case for streetwear’s enduring fashion relevance. Streetwear mainstay Supreme is still driving growth with its savvy marketing and collaborations. Owner VF Corp. said it expects the label to generate $600 million in revenue this year — up from $500 million when it was acquired in 2020. Additional Resources:Why Supreme Sold to VF Corporation: In a deal that values the New York streetwear brand at $2.1 billion, Supreme picks up a long-term partner with back-end prowess and ambitions to scale it past $1 billion in annual sales.Is Streetwear Still Cool? Luxury brands may have pivoted away from sneakers, puffer jackets and hoodies, but new labels like Corteiz and Free The Youth are making a case for street culture’s enduring relevance in fashion.Join BoF Professional today with our exclusive podcast listener discount of 25% off an annual membership, follow the link here and enter the coupon code ‘debrief’ at checkout. Want more from The Business of Fashion? Subscribe to our daily newsletter here.Follow The Debrief wherever you listen to podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Simon Porte Jacquemus is one of fashion’s hottest independent designers — and his namesake label is one of its most impressive businesses. The company, known for its tiny bags and minimalist playfulness, is on track to double annual revenues to over €200 million ($199 million) by year-end, with plans to reach €500 million by 2025. The designer has been able to build buzz with his clear brand vision, and savvy ability to storytell through social media.  “He was one of the first designers to realise how powerful of a tool Instagram was going to be, and to have something really compelling to say on that platform — to have a universe that was just really organically compelling,” said BoF luxury editor Robert Williams. Key Insights:Simon Porte Jacquemus has managed to build a scalable luxury start-up without the help of a conglomerate or big investor: a rarity in fashion. Jacquemus thinks the pressure to up sales every season to keep the business running pushed him to commercial success. Armed with a new store on Avenue Montaigne, the brand reaches up into luxury prices, but maintains a more accessible, fun, young and playful bent.Handbags — led by the brand’s hit, Chiquito style — are an essential profit driver for the business. With a new CEO on board in Puig’s Bastien Daguzan, the brand is looking to solidify its footwear business and diversify its menswear offering. As of now, Jacquemus does not plan on taking outside investment. The brand believes it's momentum and strong retail partnerships will help it reach its sales goal of €500 million by 2025.Additional Resources:Jacquemus: A Fashion Star’s Business Vision: For the first-time, the industry’s hottest independent designer — a charismatic, social-media savvy storyteller from the south of France — reveals the financial underpinnings of his burgeoning company and plans for the next phase of growth. How to Open a Store in 2022: From seamless online-to-offline offerings to metaverse-inspired installations, the standards of brick-and-mortar retail have evolved since the pandemic struck.Jacquemus, Now Nike-Approved, Opens ‘New Era’ in Provence: Simon Porte Jacquemus’ showmanship, social-media savvy and ultra-recognisable designs have turned his regionally-inspired label into a global hit.Join BoF Professional today with our exclusive podcast listener discount of 25% off an annual membership, follow the link here and enter the coupon code ‘debrief’ at checkout. Want more from The Business of Fashion? Subscribe to our daily newsletter here.Follow The Debrief wherever you listen to podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

BoF editor-at-large Tim Blanks describes the designer and businessman’s life, continuing impact on fashion, mysterious succession plans and newfound vulnerability.BackgroundOver his decades-long career, Giorgio Armani has built one of fashion’s most successful businesses. Known for his signature tailoring and functional glamour, at 88, he’s retained his dominance in an ever-changing, hyper-competitive industry. Amid speculation about what's to come for the Armani fashion empire, BoF editor-at-large Tim Blanks met the titan at his garden in Milan for an intimate conversation about his life, business and future — including succession plans. “He was a revolutionary in his own way. I can think of maybe five people in fashion who had the impact he had,” said Blanks. Key Insights: The Bloomberg Billionaires Index estimates Armani has a personal net worth of $9.5 billion. He still owns and runs his company and as Blanks says, may value his independence more than anything. Rumours about Giorgio Armani’s future after Armani include a potential takeover by Bernard Arnault’s LVMH, the Agnelli family’s Exor or Valentino parent Mayhoola.One thing people don’t fully realise about Armani is he is an eccentric, said Blanks. Armani told Blanks his eccentricity lies in his radical approach to design, which is both streamlined and nuanced. Armani’s close relationship with partner Sergio Galeotti, who passed away in 1985, has helped fuel his ascent to status as fashion’s most successful designer. Now, Armani, who has no children and doesn’t claim many friends outside his family and his company, is leaning into a new kind of love and vulnerability, thanks to the presence of his collaborator’s young daughter at the office.  Additional Resources: Giorgio Armani: Lion in WinterJoin BoF Professional today with our exclusive podcast listener discount of 25% off an annual membership, follow the link here and enter the coupon code ‘debrief’ at checkout.  Want more from The Business of Fashion? Subscribe to our daily newsletter here. Follow The Debrief wherever you listen to podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How the 75-year-old luxury house tripled its revenue in just four years, according to BoF luxury editor Robert Williams. Background: In 1947, months after being founded, Christian Dior Couture revolutionised dressing with its “New Look,” an exaggerated hourglass-shaped silhouette. In the ’80s, the then-withering brand was bought by entrepreneur Bernard Arnault, who would eventually transform it into one of the largest luxury labels in the world. In 2017, when LVMH — of which Arnault is CEO and chairman — took full control of the house, Dior transformed into one of fashion’s fastest-growing and most profitable labels — with estimated revenues of €6.6 billion.  “[LVMH] just said ‘We need to … do what it will take to get this business on the scale of these really big brands like Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Chanel,’” said BoF luxury editor Robert Williams.  Key Insights: More than a decade after buying Dior, Arnault hired designer John Galliano — who introduced the Lady Dior bag — and appointed executive Sidney Toleando (now chief executive of LVMH fashion group) to refashion Dior as a modern luxury brand. While Galliano and Toledano fully cemented Dior as a global fashion and leathergoods player with a robust beauty business over their 15-year partnership, the brand entered a new phase in 2017, when Arnault moved Dior from his personal holdings to LVMH.The brand’s beauty and fashion lines are segmented, which has led to a certain amount of success, particularly in the company’s perfume business. Now, the brand is slowly starting to connect the two to power the business. Dior’s total control over its brand — where it only sells through its channels, doesn’t discount and isn’t separated out on LVMH’s balance sheet — allows it to protect itself from investor demands and excess product risk.  Additional Resources: https://www.businessoffashion.com/case-studies/luxury/christian-dior-strategy-lvmh-pietro-beccari-maria-grazia-chiuri-kim-jones/  https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/luxury/diors-maria-grazia-chiuri-a-fashion-hitmakers-method/ https://www.businessoffashion.com/podcasts/luxury/why-chanel-is-opening-private-boutiques/Join BoF Professional today with our exclusive podcast listener discount of 25% off an annual membership, follow the link here and enter the coupon code ‘debrief’ at checkout.  Want more from The Business of Fashion? Subscribe to our daily newsletter here. Follow The Debrief wherever you listen to podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.